“I Gave Up My Career to Focus on My Wife,” the Story of How Chuck Norris Chose to Take Care of His Sweetheart

Sometimes remarkable situations occur that require us to make a decision that can change the course of our lives forever. For Chuck Norris, this predicament presented itself when a sudden decline in the health of his wife, Gena, led him to give up his career in order to care for her and become her primary caregiver.

At Now I’ve Seen Everything, we appreciate stories in which true love triumphs in any situation. Just like this example that we share with you, starring an endearing couple. Undoubtedly, they’ve shown that together they can overcome any obstacle.

The renowned actor and martial arts specialist, Chuck Norris, has been part of many Hollywood productions in which he has been seen playing the role of a strong and tough man, including Walker, Texas Ranger, which became a great success.

However, this ex-military man also has a completely opposite sentimental side, which he shows with his wife, model Gena O’Kelly, to whom he has been married since 1998 and with whom he has 2 children.

In 2013, his wife was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. But before proceeding with 3 MRI scans, she was given a contrast material to improve the diagnostic value of these medical images. Unfortunately, as the days passed, Gena began to feel different and, after a month, she was suffering from a burning sensation in different parts of her body. “I was in the emergency room for 5 or 6 nights in a row and the symptoms were getting worse, the burning sensation continued to spread through my body,” Gena said.

Those visits to the emergency room were the first of many for the couple, due to the terrible pain the woman was suffering. “When I arrived, they would ask me what was wrong and I would tell them that I didn’t know, that I didn’t feel well, that I felt like I was burning, as if I had acid inside my body,” she explained. Thus 5 long months went by in which Gena’s life underwent a radical change, reaching the point of feeling so bad that she couldn’t take care of herself.

Doctors ran various tests to find a diagnosis, from cancer to Parkinson’s to multiple sclerosis, while Gena was also soaking up information. Then she reached a point where everything pointed to the same thing: gadolinium poisoning, a toxic substance used as a contrast material, which was given to her before her MRI.

Gena confessed that, after realizing this, she went to the hospital and told the doctors what she had found. She told them that they had to find a way to get the chemical out of her body as soon as possible, as her life was in danger.

The answer to her prayers was in Reno, Nevada, through the use of alternative medicine, where Gena received a treatment that brought her, albeit slowly, back to life. “When we got there, she couldn’t swallow, so we had to feed her baby food through her esophagus,” were some of the experiences the actor recounted in an interview.

Gena’s deteriorating health caused her to go through a waking nightmare, going from being a very healthy and energetic person to being bedridden in a hospital bed. However, it was during these hard times that her husband, Chuck, paid tribute to the promise made during their marriage: to be by her side in sickness and in health. The actor decided to put his career aside to become the full-time caregiver of his beloved life partner, being by her side in her recovery process.

“Chuck slept beside me on the couch and never left,” Norris’ wife recounted. It was a difficult time for the family, but one that they managed to get through thanks to their togetherness and support for each other. “I gave up my film career to focus on Gena. I think this issue is that important,” said Norris in an interview.

What do you think of the way Chuck Norris acted in this situation? What would be your reaction if you were in his or Gena’s place?