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Beloved M*A*S*H star battling Parkinson’s Disease

Posted at 7:39 AM, Aug 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-01 09:39:43-04

Most people recognize Alan Alda as "Hawkeye* the quick witted surgeon in the TV show M*A*S*H. He also played a politician on the West Wing and he was an Oscar nominee for his role in "The Aviator."

The 82-year old actor now has a new role, one he’s been dealing with for the last three years. He announced on CBS that he’s battling Parkinson’s Disease.

Alda says the first symptoms he experienced, actually happened while he was sleeping. 

The disease causes tremors, stiffness, poor balance, and difficulty speaking.

In his most recent role off-screen, he’s been an advocate for better communication about science, and says that’s why he’s speaking out now. He said in the beginning, he was immobilized by fear and felt as though the worst thing had happened to him. He said he realized that it wasn’t the worst thing and that there were still things he could do. 

Alda posted this video of himself juggling, saying he’ll maintain a busy schedule with his podcast, acting, playing tennis and enjoying his life.