Celebrities' Health Crises

No one, not even Hollywood A-listers, is immune to health crises. These stars have had health issues ranging from the mild to potentially fatal. But in the midst of some very frightening illnesses, many of these celebs have responded with extraordinary courage. Take a look:

Glen Campbell

The 76-year-old country legend got some devastating news last year when he was diagnosed with...

Alzheimer's Although Alzheimer's is one of the most heartbreaking diseases of all, Campbell refused to give up and went on the road for an emotional “Goodbye Tour.” He also released an album, “Ghost on the Canvas.” He’s also taking a stoic attitude toward his illness: " Don't cry over spilled milk,” he told CNN. “Get up and be a man and do what you have got to do."

Dan Aykroyd The "Saturday Night Live" veteran and comic actor, who's about to turn 60, didn't always have a lot to laugh about. He was diagnosed with....

Tourette's and Asperger's syndrome Aykroyd had childhood episodes of Tourette’s and Asperger’s syndrome, both of which are neurological disorders. Tourette’s involves automatic jerking motions of the head and shrugging of the shoulders, among other gestures. It may also involve the uncontrollable blurting of obscenities. Asperger’s is a syndrome that can vary from a slight form of being antisocial to a major inability to interact with others. Aykroyd said the Tourette’s had disappeared for the most part by the time he was 14, but he has said he still shows some influences of Asperger’s.

Diane Keaton The actress who's charmed audiences for decades has to keep close check on her...

Asthma Keaton, 66, suffers from an adult-onset type of the illness. The breathing disorder is characterized by shortness of breath, wheezing, nighttime coughing and difficulty breathing. It is also closely linked to allergies.

Montel Williams The veteran talk-show host, 55, got bad news in 1999 when doctors told him he has...

Multiple Sclerosis The progressive disease, which is incurable, occurs when a protective material around nerve cells is destroyed, leaving the cells unable to communicate with each other. The disease leads to severe physical limitations as well as cognitive disability. Of his diagnosis, Williams has said “It hit me like a brick. I thought [it] was a death sentence. .. It became clear that I had a choice to make. I could spend the rest of my life feeling sorry for myself..or I could view my illness as…an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of millions who suffer from MS and their loved ones.” Today, Williams has a foundation and travels the country speaking about MS.

Prince The veteran rocker is known for his healthy habits. But as a child, Prince, now 54, suffered from...

Epilepsy This neurological disorder results in seizures, episodes of convulsions that can be fatal. “I used to have seizures when I was young,” Prince said in a 2009 interview. “My mother and father didn't know what to do or how to handle it but they did the best they could with what little they had." But Prince also told his mother, “I’m not going to be sick anymore” and said an angel had told him that. Today, he’s free of the illness.

Sally Field Field, 67, has been noted for her girlish appearance throughout the decades. But her petite frame may have been one of the reasons she's found herself facing...

Osteoporosis Field, 67, was diagnosed with the bone-thinning disorder just before her 60th birthday. The condition, which is commoner among petite, thin, women reduces the density of bones, making them thinner and leaving patients more vulnerable to fractures that can seriously affect quality of life. Eventually, Field became a spokesman for Boniva, an anti-osteoporosis pill that is now the subject of lawsuits claiming, ironically, that it causes bone fractures.

Barry Manilow One of the most consistent hitmakers over the past few decades, Manilow, 69, had to have surgery because of the exchausting onstage routine that led to his....

Bursitis An inflammation of the bursae, the fluid-filled sacs that act as cushions for your joints, including the elbows and hips. Entertainer Barry Manilow, 69, got bursitis, he said, after getting overly enthusiastic during his stage performances. He underwent surgery for bursitis in his hip as well as torn leg muscles. "That’s what you get when you jump around to 'Copacabana' for 30 years!" he told “People.”

Kathleen Turner The 58-year-old actress made a name for herself playing sultry seductresses in movies like 'Body Heat." But she became the subject of cruel rumors because it wasn't known that she'd been diagnosed with....

Rheumatoid Arthritis Turner kept her illness a secret, and rumors of alcoholism swirled around her because she looked puffy and unsteady. But those effects came from taking steroids and undergoing chemotherapy for her illness, which usually affects the joints in the hands and feet. Because it affects the joints’ lining, RA can lead to painful swelling and severe deformity. Now, though, Turner’s illness is in remission and she’s become an activist for RA awareness.

Delta Burke Delta Burke, 56, who played sassy Julia Sugarbaker on “Designing Women,” has been diagnosed with some physical and emotional problems, including...

Hoarding Disorder; Diabetes A beauty-queen contestant who struggled to stay thin during her pageant years, Burke gained weight after her TV career took off and was eventually diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes at age 41. She's also suffered from depression as well as a hoarding disorder. (She once had 27 storage units for all her possessions.) Burke has gradually battled back in her health and her career, appearing in “Steel Magnolias” on Broadway and becoming a recurring guest on “Boston Legal.”

Julianne Moore The critically acclaimed actress texted once too often and found herself facing a diagnosis of...

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome The condition—pressure on the nerve in the wrist that conveys feelings to part of the hand—is often associated with office workers or others who sit in front of a computer for hours at a time. But Moore was just using her smartphone. “I was texting and texting and one day I couldn’t shake hands,.” she told an interviewer. Although it’s thought of as a relatively minor ailment, the condition often leads to surgery and can cause permanent numbing and tingling in the hand.