just caring for our loved ones and talking about MS., Which is beautiful. So I feel like I have a new family in a sense because sometimes you don’t want to bother your real family, you know? It’s because they feel bad, too; what can they do? So those strangers become your chosen family.
Q: That’s wonderful. I know you mentioned the contract that you just got with Genentech, and filming a movie; how is that going, and what are you looking forward to doing next? What are you working on now as an actress and caregiver?
A: I’m excited. I’m shooting a movie now. I can’t say much about it, but I’m shooting a movie now. I just finished the movie named Thirsty. I don’t know if they will change the name, but it was amazing. I get to play a Mayor. I’ll be going back for season three of P Valley. We do not have a date yet, but it’s coming. And right now just really excited; hopefully, I can roll my mom on the carpet with me when I go for the NAACP awards. So that’s what I’m working on right now. And just being more visible with my voice with the #MSVisibility campaign and being a voice for people for sure.
Q: And this campaign launches on the 27th or 17th, right?
A: Yes. And then everything will be on gene.com/ms. What I love is that we’re the #MSVisibility campaign celebrating the diversity in MS and providing culturally relevant resources to enable better MS care. Even what I’m saying is not enough, like that website that’s going to launch, oh my gosh, it’s going to have so much to help you with. And I’m going to be on it, already a part of it. I know that I’m going to be on there finding things that are going to help me. It helped me just doing that, just shooting that; it was so much that I learned. So really excited.
Q: Would you have any recommendations for people that might help avoid MS or maybe lower the risk?
A: You know what? I don’t think I can say what would necessarily lower or prevent the risk, and everyone is different. I think the best advice would be to talk to your healthcare provider because everyone’s so different, and I would hate to say do this, but then it does not work. Azure, for instance, does something different than my mom, and that’s the same regarding medications and foods. It’s very different. And I’m just going off of what the doctors have told me for my mom. So definitely talk to your healthcare providers.
Q: Awesome. And is there anything that I didn’t ask you about that you want to ensure gets in the article?
A: Yeah, I want to clarify that the studies show that Black people may be older at the time of diagnosis and experience more severe symptoms. They may be faster to have disability progression. For example, Black people with MS may need to be on a cane sooner than white people. So it’s different things that we really need to share in the Black community because I’ve seen people with MS walking and running daily. And my mom is 69, relatively young, and she has been unable to walk for the last ten years. And you know, usually, that’s happening later on in other races. So definitely want to share that so we can be aware and if you’re feeling something, go to the doctor, do not think that, oh, it’s fine; Grandmama used to have that tingle in her hand too. Did grandmama know it was MS? So we got to really, really be out there and go to the doctor and be an advocate for ourselves. The power of self-advocacy. That’s one of the videos that you’ll be able to see.
Well, this was wonderful. You almost had me tearing up a little bit over here with your story *I laugh* You can tell you have so much passion for helping people.
Thank you so much. I’m just so grateful to be speaking about this and bringing awareness because I’m like, Lord, I wish I knew then what I know now. It changed me. I’m sure you saw me over here finishing my green juice; I’m like, let me change my diet. Let me do better. And, you know, with this, with us communicating, maybe we can all, you know, be better with our health, with going to the doctor and what we put in our bodies. It’s so important.