Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Art of ElysiumJust a few days after she tied the knot, Jamie-Lynn Sigler revealed to the world that she's been battling Multiple Sclerosis for 15 years.
Despite opening up for this first time about her difficult battle with the disease, she's remaining strong and positive—part of which has to do with the support from her husband, Cutter Dykstra, who she admits helped her come forward with the truth.
A source tells E! News, "Jamie-Lynn's a very positive person, bubbly, upbeat. She's not the type to wallow in self-pity or feel sorry for herself or go into hiding. [The fact] that she's handled her diagnosis so gracefully isn't a surprise."
The insider adds, "Her relationship with Cutter is strong. She's got a big support system in him. She's looking to work more, but I've also heard they're hoping to add to their family again soon."
Jamie-Lynn's mother, Connie Sigler, also publicly showed her support for her daughter—not to bring pity upon their family, but to show how proud they are of her daughter's strength in opening up about her battle with MS.
She took to Facebook to write: "To all my FB friends: I want you all to know that we are so proud of our daughter! We will continue our lives in a new light! We are stronger than ever as a family! We need your support and love, not pity! Love u all!"
Meanwhile, Jamie-Lynn dropped her MS bombshell on Wednesday, telling People magazine, "I wasn't ready until now. You'd think that after all these years, somebody would be settled with something like this, but it's still hard to accept."
She said her husband and their son, Beau, helped her feel comfortable enough to tell her story. "I'm at a point in my life with my son, with my new marriage, it's a new me," she told the publication. "I don't want to hold a secret where it feels like I have something to be ashamed of or have something to hide."
Along with her story, the actress, 34, shared a touching Instagram post about how she hopes that coming forward about her struggle will be an inspiration for others who are battling MS, too.
"This has been a part of me, that for many reasons I was terrified to share for the last 15 years since I was diagnosed," she wrote beside a photo of her family. "But I've finally found the strength to come forward and be ok with who I really am and trust that life will still have things to offer even though I have this disease. It has slowed me down and it can make things hard, but there is still a lot I CAN do."
Jamie-Lynn says she "can't wait" to see what life has in store now that she's come forward with the truth.
—Reporting by Beth Sobol