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neuropathy newsletter |
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Hollywood Star Turned Nun Becomes Neuropathy Spokesperson June 2006 It has been a long and winding road for Dolores Hart. The last time Dolores hart was in Hollywood she was a budding starlet on screen with Elvis Presley. Spotted by a talent scout in a school production of George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, she got a screen test, a contract and a role as Elvis's love interest in "Loving You." Hart made two more films before playing opposite Elvis again in "King Creole." In all she appeared in 11 films and co-starred with such greats as Montgomery Clift and Myrna Loy. In 1959, Hart was having doubts about her chosen profession. On the advice of a friend, she visited the Roman Catholic Abbey of Regina Laudis in Connecticut. Within two years she broke all ties with Hollywood and in 1962 she moved into the convent. Hart, now a prioress of the cloistered community has suffered from peripheral neuropathy since 1997. This painful and debilitating disease put her in a wheelchair for some time. "I couldn't eat," she recalls. "When I put my feet on the floor they felt like they were on fire." After seeking medical attention, going from one doctor to the next, she was finally diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy. Dolores Hart continues to live with the condition but has taken a pro-active approach. She has become a spokesperson for The Neuropathy Association, headquartered in New York City. She recently gave testimony on the subject of peripheral neuropathy at a senate hearing in Washington DC on March 30. Here is a summary of her testimony: As many as 20 million Americans suffer from peripheral neuropathy, a neurological disorder that causes debilitating pain, weakness in the feet and legs and makes walking quite difficult. For most of its victims, the only recourse is pain medication, physical therapy or prosthetic devices to help maintain strength and improve mobility. In light of the large number of Americans afflicted and attendant costs to society, the Committee is urged to provide substantially more appropriations for research to find ways to cure, prevent and more effectively treat peripheral neuropathy. |
