Chuck Norris
Martial artist and actor Chuck Norris with his wife Gena Reuters

Chuck Norris' wife Gena thought she would lose her life four years ago due to her medical condition. And, both Norris and Gena have claimed that she has been suffering from bouts of burning nerve pain and kidney problems after she was poisoned by an MRI scan.

The American action hero and his 54-year-old partner have filed a lawsuit against medical device manufacturers claiming that she has been suffering from the condition ever since she was given the chemical called Gadolinium used in many MRI scans. The couple has alleged that Gena was injected with the chemical before her scan to check for arthritis.

Speaking to Good Health, the 77-year-old martial artist said he has "given up" acting to concentrate on his wife and highlight the dangers of using Gadolinium with MRI scans.

"I've given up my film career to concentrate on Gena, my whole life right now is about keeping her alive. I believe the issue is so important," Norris was quoted as saying by Metro UK.

Gena fell ill after receiving three injections of Gadolinium in eight days.

"Within hours after the first jab I felt like my whole body was on fire – as if acid had been passed through it. 'The burning was isolated at first, but it just kept spreading," she said.

Gena was rushed to the hospital six times with several symptoms, including rib pain, breathing difficulties, full-body tremors and joint pain, following the MRI scan. Doctors even told the couple that Gadolinium toxicity wasn't the cause of her symptoms.

However, a medical clinic in Rena, Nevada, recognised gadolinium toxicity in Gena's symptoms.

"I just lay in bed on an IV for five months and had to have round-the-clock nursing care," Gena said. "Chuck slept beside me on the couch and never left. I prayed that I would live to raise my children."

Gena is said to be receiving treatment like stem cell therapy due to her medical condition.

The couple married in November 1998 and they share two daughters - Dakota and Danilee.