<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Chew Chor Meng diagnosed with muscular atrophy
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Actor's condition said to strike one in 40,000 people and is incurable </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jasmine Teo
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Chew sharing news of his spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy with the congregation. He is expected to face 'physical impairment' in the next seven to 15 years, but the disease does not affect life expectancy. ST
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->VETERAN MediaCorp actor Chew Chor Meng said last night that he has been diagnosed with a form of muscular atrophy, an incurable disease where a sufferer's muscles waste away.
The 40-year-old told reporters outside his church, Renewal Centre, in Serangoon that he was diagnosed with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, or Kennedy's disease.
He had earlier told the congregation about his condition, which strikes one in 40,000 people and is incurable.
Doctors have told him that in the next seven to 15 years, he will face 'physical impairment', but the disease does not affect life expectancy.
Mr Chew, who is married with two daughters, aged four and six, said his legs have become weaker but he is not taking painkillers or medication for the condition.
He said he is trying to live a normal life but has been advised by doctors not to engage in strenuous activities such as jogging.
The 1990 Star Search champion said that he first experienced back pains in 1997. He consulted Western doctors and Chinese physicians and all of them diagnosed it as a slipped disc. But the treatments had no effect on him.
Last year, the pain worsened and spread to his waist.
In September this year, a doctor who attended the same church as Mr Chew referred him to specialists, who finally diagnosed his condition as spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.
He said in Mandarin: 'The doctors told me, 'Chor Meng, you have to start spending more time with your family'.'
The actor is famous for playing the Lobang King in the 1996 Channel 8 sitcom, Don't Worry Be Happy, and the titular character in the Channel 5 sitcom, Mr
Kiasu from 2001 to 2002.
He is now seen in the drama, Love Blossoms II, where viewers had observed that he seemed to be limping.
Last night, when he was asked what he was most concerned about, Chew became emotional and said: 'My mum, my wife and my children.' [email protected]
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Actor's condition said to strike one in 40,000 people and is incurable </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jasmine Teo
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Chew sharing news of his spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy with the congregation. He is expected to face 'physical impairment' in the next seven to 15 years, but the disease does not affect life expectancy. ST
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->VETERAN MediaCorp actor Chew Chor Meng said last night that he has been diagnosed with a form of muscular atrophy, an incurable disease where a sufferer's muscles waste away.
The 40-year-old told reporters outside his church, Renewal Centre, in Serangoon that he was diagnosed with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, or Kennedy's disease.
He had earlier told the congregation about his condition, which strikes one in 40,000 people and is incurable.
Doctors have told him that in the next seven to 15 years, he will face 'physical impairment', but the disease does not affect life expectancy.
Mr Chew, who is married with two daughters, aged four and six, said his legs have become weaker but he is not taking painkillers or medication for the condition.
He said he is trying to live a normal life but has been advised by doctors not to engage in strenuous activities such as jogging.
The 1990 Star Search champion said that he first experienced back pains in 1997. He consulted Western doctors and Chinese physicians and all of them diagnosed it as a slipped disc. But the treatments had no effect on him.
Last year, the pain worsened and spread to his waist.
In September this year, a doctor who attended the same church as Mr Chew referred him to specialists, who finally diagnosed his condition as spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy.
He said in Mandarin: 'The doctors told me, 'Chor Meng, you have to start spending more time with your family'.'
The actor is famous for playing the Lobang King in the 1996 Channel 8 sitcom, Don't Worry Be Happy, and the titular character in the Channel 5 sitcom, Mr
Kiasu from 2001 to 2002.
He is now seen in the drama, Love Blossoms II, where viewers had observed that he seemed to be limping.
Last night, when he was asked what he was most concerned about, Chew became emotional and said: 'My mum, my wife and my children.' [email protected]
