Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Mikayla Matthews has been open about his battle with chronic illness.
Matthews revealed that he was dealing with a number of unknown health issues during the 2024 season premiere of the hit Hulu television series. At the time, Matthews had not received an official diagnosis.
“[I] I haven’t received any answers yet,” he said Us Weekly in September 2024. “I’m a lot better than I was, but I still have my ups and downs, so it’s frustrating not getting answers and feeling like I’m alone and having to go through this really exciting time when I’m not feeling my best, so that’s been kind of complicated.”
Two years later, Matthews shared publicly that he was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), a dysfunction of the immune system that involves a range of symptoms that simultaneously affect multiple organ systems, according to the National Library of Medicine.
“I really barely survived,” she wrote on her Instagram Story in March 2026. “Chronic illness is eating me up and I haven’t been able to be the mom I want to be these past few years. I want to feel like myself again.”
Keep scrolling to find out all about Matthews’ health battle:
What were the symptoms of Mikayla Matthews?
In the first season of Mormon Wives, Matthews suffered from red spots on her skin. “He had a hair test, a urine test, a stool test” about his condition but he didn’t get a concrete diagnosis right away. Matthews not only battled the disease while filming, but also while caring for her and Jace Terry’s three children.
“There was a time when the back of my legs and all the wounds were cut and bleeding, and I couldn’t even get up and go take care of my children,” he said. Us in September 2024. “And that was a really tough time. I feel like my self-esteem was at an all-time low. I feel like my quality of life wasn’t great because I couldn’t do anything.”
What Does Mikayla Matthews Do For Therapy?
Matthews revealed that he dedicated a year to “removing all the toxins” from his diet, body and overall health.
“I removed my tumors, infected roots, mercury fillings, removed toxic people from my life,” he wrote on Instagram in January 2025.
What Happened After Mikayla Matthews Received Her Diagnosis?
After being diagnosed with CIRS, Matthews moved from Utah to Hawaii to focus on his ongoing “treatment.”
“I feel like I’m in a very life-changing time right now, making some big changes,” Matthews said in a May 2026 TikTok video. “I want to show my skin how it is and how it changes. I will be vlogging every day and start each video with skin renewal.”
