When one loses what one needs

by Michael Fiscaletti, junior fact checker

Famous wrestler James Harris (and his alter ego Kamala the Ugandan Giant) has met a worrisome occasion. Harris suffers from diabetes and has had both of his legs amputated; he is consequently out of a job.

Harris’ situation is not a rare case. Sports stars, actors, and other figures frequently seen on cell phones, computers, and television often suffer similar dilemmas. Illness and injuries are not at all uncommon in the world of entertainment. Highly famed stars such as Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future (1985) – IMDb) and Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball; Catwoman (2004) – IMDb) suffer from illnesses of their own – Parkinson’s and Diabetes respectively. The outcome of such cases has the potential to damage or, in Harris’ case, end a career.

Some celebrities such as Robin Williams have lived and made massive successes despite mental illnesses and chronic depression. In physical cases (frequently sports) there are veteran players like Darryl Talley.

Talley played football for 14 seasons in the NFL and developed some form of brain damage which affected his social life and his ability to continue playing. The National Football League (NFL) denied that he is too injured to continue, but the public seemed to believe otherwise. Interviews display a rather depressing story of an ex-football player who now contemplates suicide and pays his bills with generous donations from family and friends.

Many people pity family members who break an arm not just because it may have hurt but because it may affect their life and work. This is frequently the case and it really can happen to anyone- even the stars who occasionally display themselves as invincible; which only makes the outcome of these events more devastating.