Jack Osbourne pens candid essay about his ongoing battle with MS


When Jack Osbourne was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis four years ago, he was terrified. Doctors explained that the disease was ‘incurable and often debilitating’, and he knew his life was forever changed.

‘I was only 26 years old, I had just become a father and I thought my whole life was in front of me,’ the now-29-year-old recalled in an essay on People.com to draw attention to World MS Day.

Now, he says, he still doing OK, and wants to use his time to shine a spotlight on the illness, educating others and removing the stigma associated with it. 

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Opening up: Jack Osbourne is raising awareness about his illness on World MS Day, and through his You Don’t Know Jack About MS campaign

Scary: He was diagnosed in 2012 (pictured) when he was 26 years old and a new dad

Knowledge is power: He turned to his wife, Lisa, for support and made it a point to educate himself 

MS is a disease of the central nervous system that results in nerve damage, which affects communication between the brain and body. Sufferers can experience fatigue, numbness, paralysis, vision loss, vertigo, slurred speech, pain, and diminished brain function.

However, the severity of the symptoms can vary from case to case, and so far, Jack says he’s ‘proud to say I’m doing OK’.

‘I think the biggest misconception probably about MS in general is that you’re no longer able-bodied,’ he explained. ‘That, to me, has been something where everyone’s like, “Can you do that?” Even my parents do that. They’re like, “Are you sure you should be doing that?” I’m like, “I’m fine.” 

‘People have this weird thing where they’re like, “Oh, are you OK?” and I’m like, “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s OK. I’m not gonna, like, keel over.”

He’s doing well enough that he’s bade it a point to stay active, either surfing or doing Crossfit-type workouts four or five days a week.

‘A body in motion wants to stay in motion, and MS is a disease that wants to stop me from moving,’ he said. 

Protecting them: Though his kids don’t really know what’s going on with their dad’s health

Making light: His three-year-old daughter Pearl (ledt) recently administered one of his injections during a game of doctor

Living life: He and his wife have also welcomed 11-month-old Andy (front) since his diagnosis

Jack wrote that after getting diagnosed, he tried to educate himself as much as possible about the disease. The process was overwhelming, but he said he was glad to have his family around to support him, calling them an ‘incredible support system’.

Now, he hopes to be part of that support system for others with his campaign, You Don’t Know Jack About MS.

‘I certainly learned a lot since my diagnosis, and I am thankful to have been welcomed by this inspiring community where I can now pay it forward through my work on the You Don’t Know Jack About MS campaign, in partnership with Teva Pharmaceuticals,’ he said.

‘Whether you’re living with MS or not, the most important thing to realize is that knowledge is power. In my eyes, the more people who know what MS really is, the better. People with MS can live normal or near-normal lives. By simply understanding more about this disease and spreading the word, you can be a great advocate for yourself and others.’

He’s fine, mom! He said his family has been supportive, too, though sometimes his parents annoyingly ask if he’s able to do certain things

Since his diagnosis, he’s had another daughter (Andy) and stays healthy by exercising regularly

Sticking to a routine: Jack, who is pictured in 2004, does Crossfit and surfs four or five times a week

Though he said he doesn’t lift a ton of weight, he seemed to be lifting quite a bit in a recent video of a Crossfit session

In his essay, Jack also touched on the fact that he is not the only person suffering from his illness — his family has hardships, too. 

‘My wife and kids are my reason for wanting to endure whatever this disease throws at me. They are with me through thick and thin, and vice versa,’ he said. ‘So many caregivers and family members make such a selfless sacrifice in order to help make a life possible for many people living with MS. They are the heroes to me, in this battle.’

While his wife Lisa likely deals with the brunt of the stress, his daughters Pearl, three, and Andy, 11 months, will one day have to cope with it too. At this point, they’re mostly still too young — though Jack revealed that he gave Pearl a very important job recently.

Though she usually isn’t around when he takes his medication, she actually got to administer is injection during a game of doctor. Jack said she was totally amazed that he let her do it.