Chuck Norris Devoted Himself to His Sick Wife and Even Gave Up His Career to Be by Her Side

Each of us wishes for our partner to always be by our side—in sorrow and in joy. This brings confidence that they are a true friend, a person we can rely on, no matter what happens. It is precisely in these moments of life that we truly realize how devoted and reliable our beloved is.

American actor and martial arts master Chuck Norris is an example of such a loving and loyal husband. He not only stayed by his wife’s side, who became seriously ill, but also gave up his successful career to take care of her and provide support.

The star of Texas Ranger recounted how their family’s life changed in an instant after a routine injection that doctors administered to his wife in 2013 before an MRI for rheumatoid arthritis. The complications turned out to be more than serious: excruciating neuralgia and kidney problems.

Chuck Norris did not hesitate for a second when it came time to choose between caring for his wife or his career. “I gave up my film career to focus on Gena. Now I have only one dream and one goal—to save my beloved. I believe there is nothing more important, so I have not regretted the decision for a second,” said the 80-year-old actor to Good Health reporters.

Since his wife fell ill, Norris has not left her side for a moment. The couple has spent around $2 million on her treatment.

Recalling the medical error that completely shattered their previous full life, Gena says that after the first injection, her body felt like it was on fire. She was going insane from the pain and could not understand what was happening.

“A few hours after the first injection, I felt as if I had been… set on fire. With every hour, the burning sensation spread over a larger area of skin, and it was pure hell. The pain was so intense that it felt like it was tearing me apart.

Thus began the most terrifying period of my life: I lay immobile under IV drips for 5 months and prayed to God for one thing—to end this suffering as soon as possible. It was incomprehensible: just recently, I had been healthy, and now I could not go without round-the-clock medical supervision and support.

All this time, Chuck did not leave my side for a second. He slept next to me on the couch and listened to every breath I took. It was very hard, very painful. All I could do was pray, and that’s what I did. I asked God to give me at least a few more years so that I could raise our children…” recalls Gena about those terrifying days.

Chuck Norris’s wife says they could hardly accept the fact that a harmless injection, which everyone receives before an MRI, could lead to such complex complications.

“When I went for the MRI, I never thought that I would spend the next 5 months paralyzed. It just doesn’t happen! It’s impossible! Just not to me! Nevertheless, life is not always fair: it’s very rare, but this happens, and this time fate’s roulette pointed at me,” Gena continues.

The situation was complicated by the fact that doctors did not immediately determine what was happening to Chuck Norris’s wife. They suspected an oncological process, conducting various tests and laboratory examinations. Then, there was a hypothesis that her symptoms might be related to Parkinson’s disease.

She underwent one course of treatment after another, but nothing brought relief. Then Gena began to analyze her symptoms independently, recalling how it all began, and it dawned on her: everything pointed to the body being affected by the metal gadolinium, which is part of the contrast agent used before MRIs. Soon, doctors at the clinic in Reno, Nevada, confirmed her assumption: it was poisoning.

“How absurd and unfair it was at the same time. I lived a bright, fulfilling life before the illness, was in great physical shape, engaged in sports, and ate healthily, and then—everything came to an end. Illness, the struggle for life, and physical suffering were the consequences of that injection,” laments Gena.

Chuck Norris decided to seek justice and find out who was to blame for what happened to his wife. The famous actor filed a lawsuit against several medical companies, claiming that the chemicals used for MRIs were the cause of Gena’s illness.

The family is demanding more than $10 million in damages, stating that companies should warn patients about possible risks and complications. “What happened to Gena cannot be changed.

For the last several years, we have been fighting for her health, and now our task is to ensure that this does not happen to other patients. People need to know that the contrast agents used for MRIs can be dangerous. It’s not about completely refusing to use them, but doctors must provide complete information,” Norris told the Washington Post.

Gena also emphasizes that they are not seeking revenge, just the truth.

“It’s simply terrible and infuriating: doctors hide information from patients about contrast agents used for MRIs,” she says. “Chuck and I are determined to change this situation,” said the 57-year-old woman, according to Hello.

Chuck and Gena Norris married in 1998 and have two children. Interestingly, at that time, Chuck was dating another woman—a young model—after his first marriage ended, which lasted about 30 years. But when he saw Gena, he immediately realized it was destiny. He asked his agent to set up a date for them, and soon they began dating. It was love at first sight, and it turned out to be for life.