While playing Captain Kirk in Star Trek: The Original Series did so much for William Shatner, it also took something away from him that he could never get back. Shatner has suffered from Tinnitus from an incident on the set of the show six decades ago,

«My own journey with tinnitus started when I was filming a Star Trek episode called ‘Arena,’ and I was too close to the special effects explosion, and the result was that I was left with permanent tinnitus. And over the years, I’ve had many ups and downs with my tinnitus, and I know from firsthand experience just how difficult it can get.»

Shatner is raising money through the charity Tinnitus Quest to try to find a cure for this currently incurable disease. Nobody deserves to hear ringing in their ear all the time: special effects for science fiction TV shows aren’t worth it.