When he's not memorizing the lines of a script, Shemar Moore dedicates much of his time to another passion: helping to find a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS).
The actor, who is recognized for playing Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds, participates in the Bike MS: Coastal Challenge where he cycles 100 miles each year. (This is just one of many efforts to raise funds for a cure, including the Australian company which built a bike that demonstrates what it's like to have MS.)
It's all in honor of his mother, Marilyn Wilson, and the more than 2 million others who suffer from the disease worldwide. Wilson was diagnosed in 1999, but doctors believe she had the disease for about 20 years prior.
"I just want her to have the best life she can have while she’s still here, and hopefully in her lifetime there will be a cure," Moore told Entertainment Tonight in a 2013 interview.
After learning about the diagnosis, Moore admits he was in denial. But, he quickly realized he needed to be there for his mom.
"I didn't want to accept it, but then I saw she wasn't able to do a lot of the things that she normally could do," he said. "And so it started to hit home, and I was like, 'she can't fight this thing by herself and she did everything for me and it's my turn to give back to her.'"
Watch below and please SHARE to help him raise awareness for multiple sclerosis.
