For the first time, actress Selma Blair has opened up about her diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis. She spoke with Robin Roberts in an exclusive one-on-one that aired just a few days after her first public appearance at the Oscars, also since her diagnosis.

Selma experienced symptoms shortly after giving birth to her son, Arthur, but it wasn’t until years later that she understood what was happening. It was October of 2018 that her diagnosis of MS was official by doctors.

Even though she was in the middle of a flare up, and had noticeable symptoms while speaking to Robin Roberts, most noticeable was the effect MS had on her speech, she braved through because she wants to be a voice and bring awareness. She said she was scared at first, but doctors encouraged her to speak out, so others could see that she was able to live a relatively normal life with her son, regardless of her tough diagnosis.