'Love Is Blind' Star Alex's Dad Lives with a Disability — Here Are the Details

Love Is Blind Season 7 is in full swing. Partners have coupled up, engagements have been made, and plans are in the works. Fans of the show are getting to know the contestants more and more with every passing episode.

Alex Byrd, who has been the recipient of some criticism for her behavior toward partner Tim Godbee, warmed hearts everywhere when she opened up about her parents and the struggles of a disability both her dad and mom have been living with.

In the most recent episode of Season 7 of Love is Blind, fans got to know Alex's dad, Mr. Byrd. Mr. Byrd lives with a brain and nerve disease known as Multiple sclerosis, as Alex revealed during one of her pod dates with Tim.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease where the body attacks the myelin, a protective sheath, that covers nerve fibers. This causes miscommunication between the nerves and tissues in the body and can lead to a variety of symptoms including progressively worsening mobility issues, pain, nerve issues, incontinence, cognitive issues, and more. As the disease progresses, many people lose mobility and often end up using wheelchairs or other mobility aids.

Mr. Byrd has remarried after leaving Alex's mom, and Alex praised her step-mom for having to care for her father as he faces mobility and self-care issues while the disease progresses. In the date with Tim where she reveals her father's disability, she also reveals that her mother lives with MS.

Unfortunately, the love story between Alex's mom and her dad is not a fairy tale. According to Alex, her father made a decision that had many fans raising their eyebrows when they processed what exactly she said.

Alex told Tim that as her mom's disease progressed and she lost mobility and gained higher accommodations needs, Mr. Byrd left her mom. Although it may be shocking to fans watching, many members of the chronic illness community are not shocked.

On TikTok, you'll find video after video of people discussing how their partners left once the disease progressed too far and they needed more support. It can be especially common when the woman is the ill one, although both Alex's parents live with the same diagnosis. One study suggests that men are six times more likely than women to leave their partner after a dire diagnosis, such as MS or cancer.

Although Alex's dad warmed hearts in his emotional acceptance of Tim asking for his daughter's hand in marriage, fans are beginning to understand a little more about what makes Alex who she is. Alex has been criticized for being harsh and even abusive against Tim, but it's clear that her family life has created more stories to tell than people realized.