Rebecca King Crews Can Write Again After New Parkinson's Procedure

For the first time in three years, Rebecca King Crews can write her own name again.

The wife of actor Terry Crews revealed exclusively on TODAY that she has Parkinson's disease and recently underwent a newly approved procedure that's giving her back the simple abilities many take for granted. "I feel good," she said, smiling as she talked about brushing her teeth and applying makeup without shaking.

Her journey to diagnosis started in 2012 with numbness in her left foot during workouts. When she developed a limp and tremors, her doctor dismissed it as anxiety.

It took three years and multiple specialists before a Parkinson's expert finally recognized what was wrong in 2015. She was just 45 years old.

The tremors became the most frustrating symptom, making everyday tasks like putting on lip gloss nearly impossible. But King Crews refused to let the diagnosis stop her life.

While navigating confusing symptoms, she kept working on a book, an album, and a clothing line. "I believe that you don't lay down and die because you got a diagnosis," she said.

That determination led her to pursue bilateral focused ultrasound, a non-invasive procedure approved by the FDA just last year. Doctors use ultrasound waves guided by MRI to target specific brain areas involved in Parkinson's movement symptoms.

The procedure produced immediate results. After her March 4 treatment on one side of her body, the tremor on her right side disappeared completely.

Her balance improved so much that walking feels normal again. She's been able to reduce her medication and is scheduled for the procedure on her left side this September.

Why This Inspires

At 60, King Crews is living proof that new hope exists for the estimated one million Americans with Parkinson's disease. She still drives, plays piano, and attends acting classes regularly.

She chose to go public now specifically because she wants others to access this treatment. "I wanted to potentially make it more available to others, because it's an expensive surgery, it's not covered by insurance yet," she explained.

Terry Crews calls his wife of nearly 37 years a "superhero," watching her fight not just Parkinson's but also breast cancer in 2020. "When they say sickness and health, this is the battle that we were designed to fight together," he said.

When he saw her write her name again, he got choked up. That simple act represents something much bigger: the power of perseverance meeting medical innovation.

King Crews believes we're going to find a cure for Parkinson's, and she's determined to keep walking until we do.