Sean Brock Opens Up On His Rare Autoimmune Disease

In the era of hyper food media and Instagram, a chef losing his vision could be almost more catastrophic than losing his taste. Sean Brock is battling a rare neuromuscular autoimmune disease, myasthenia gravis (MG), that threatens to leave him blind. Brock spoke to GQ writer Brett Martin about his search for treatments for MG and the double vision that plagues his days.

Martin writes, “There's no way of knowing whether the chef's lifestyle caused Brock's myasthenia gravis. What is clear is that it does exacerbate it. It is a one-to-one equation: When Brock gets upset, his eyesight blurs. When he loses sleep or drinks a little bit, he pays in the days after.”

The disease can prove fatal, but after five years with MG, the chances of progression drop significantly. The stress of opening restaurants worsens the conditions, but Brock isn’t slowing down anytime soon. He’s still going forward with Southern-centric Husks in Greenville, South Carolina and Savannah.

Brock declined to comment on why he decided to open up about his disease now, but those in Charleston championing the chef can only hope that this article helps locate a favorable treatment.

• How Visionary Chef Sean Brock Nearly Went Blind [GQ]
• Chef Sean Brock Expands Husk Empire to Greenville and Savannah [ECHS]