Being ill in public causes a certain kind of loneliness. Not theatrically ill not the kind where people come running to your aid with flowers and casseroles but persistently, obstinately, and covertly ill in a way that causes your skin to burn and your self esteem to crumble as the cameras continue to roll. Mikayla Matthews is familiar with loneliness.
The 26 year old star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives on Hulu recently revealed to her millions of fans that she has been diagnosed with CIRS, or chronic inflammatory response syndrome, a disorder brought on by extended exposure to mold toxins. Furthermore, her statement that I’m genuinely just barely surviving lacked the polished optimism one would anticipate from a reality star with brand deals to safeguard.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Mikayla Matthews |
| Age | 26 (as of 2026) |
| Known For | The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (Hulu), MomTok influencer |
| Diagnosed Condition | Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) |
| Cause | Prolonged mold exposure |
| Husband | Jace Terry |
| Children | Beckham (8), Haven (5), Tommie (3), Lottie June (8 months) |
| Social Media Following | 2.9 million+ on TikTok |
| Show Streaming On | Hulu / Disney+ |
In a casual Instagram Stories Q&A in March 2026, Matthews revealed the diagnosis while responding to fan inquiries with the direct candor that has come to define her. Her two word response to the question of how she handles the stress of working motherhood with four children under nine was, I don’t.
That response might have struck a deeper chord than any well planned confessions ever could. She continued by detailing how CIRS has methodically targeted almost every system in her body, including her nerves, skin, hair, gut, liver, and hormones, and how, after learning of the mold exposure that started it all, she was compelled to leave her own house.
The problem with CIRS is that it doesn’t present itself with a single, striking symptom. It is unsettling. Medical literature claims that the illness is caused by an immune system that basically cannot shut down after coming into contact with specific biotoxins, most frequently from water damaged structures.
The outcome is an inflammatory chain reaction that can affect dozens of body systems at once. For Matthews, it began with what appeared to be intractable eczema, which she had struggled with since she was a young girl.
Over time, it progressed to full body nerve damage, chronic exhaustion, infections, and face rashes so bad that she avoided looking people in the eyes for over a year. She stated, I felt like if I didn’t look them in the eyes then they couldn’t see my skin, and it seems like she wasn’t just being conceited. It was an instinct for survival. the kind of self defense withdrawal that occurs when you start feeling ashamed of your own body.
The fact that a large portion of this occurred while she was recording a reality TV program that decided not to feature any of it is what makes her narrative especially frustrating, even from the outside.
Matthews has stated time and time again that she attempted to talk about her sickness on camera during Mormon Wives Season 1, but those scenes were removed in favor of the drama that viewers likely desired the interpersonal conflicts, the church politics, and the soft swinging controversy.
The plot of her chronic sickness, the removal of her breast implants during the first week of filming, her weight reduction, and her hair loss all ended up on the cutting room floor. Matthews was left to tell her own story on TikTok and Instagram, where she has amassed an audience of nearly three million followers who genuinely want to hear it. It’s still unclear if producers thought her health journey was too heavy for the tone of the show or just less compelling than the group’s social dynamics.
The chronology of her health issues reads like a medical enigma that no one was eager to unravel. After giving birth to her third child in late 2021, she first became aware that something was drastically wrong when flare ups that went much beyond typical postpartum skin problems started to occur.
Then, in March 2023, she received breast implants, which seemed to hasten everything infections increased, rashes spread to her face, and she started to fear breast implant sickness. Before filming started, she had them taken off, quickly shed twelve pounds, and saw her hair and eyebrows diminish
. She tried heavy metal detoxes, liver cleanses, parasite cleanses, ozone IV therapy, and Dupixent injections while switching doctors for three years. She has declared, You name it, I tried it, and there is no reason to mistrust her. Millions of people with chronic illnesses are familiar with the desperation of being unable to get a clear response from medical personnel while their body deteriorates.
Something more profound than celebrity rumors seems to have been impacted by Matthews’ candor. Not only are the comments on her articles compassionate, but they are also intensely personal, with many young mothers sharing their experiences with autoimmune diseases, strange symptoms, and the unique shame of feeling like you’re failing your kids because your body won’t cooperate.
Mom guilt has eaten her alive, according to Matthews herself, and it’s difficult to ignore how visceral the emotion is when you watch her discuss it, even via text on an Instagram Story. She isn’t engaging by acting vulnerable. She’s simply worn out.
Because it puts Matthews in the context of a broader discussion that the medical community has been reluctant to fully embrace, the breast implant connection is worth considering. Although patient activism has brought breast implant illness a group of symptoms that some women describe after obtaining implants into more mainstream medical discourse in recent years, it is still somewhat controversial among physicians.
Although it didn’t resolve everything, Matthews has said that having hers removed was the first significant step toward comprehending what was going on within her body. It doesn’t change the possibility that the implants weakened an already weakened immune system, even though her final diagnosis refers to mold exposure rather than the implants themselves. Bodies are intricate. Seldom are diagnoses clear cut.
A somewhat stronger version of Matthews emerges in Season 2 of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives; he has sought treatment, started processing childhood trauma, including surviving sexual assault, and begun to let go of the perfectionism that chronic sickness may paradoxically exacerbate. On camera, she reportedly felt less guarded and said things she would have kept to herself in the past.
It remains to be seen if the show will do a better job of including her health story this time, but Matthews appears to be less worried about it now. She has her own platforms, her own audience, and a message that doesn’t require permission from a producer chronic disease is real, it’s ugly, and it doesn’t help anyone to pretend differently.
i) https://www.eonline.com/news/1429981/mikayla-matthews-on-chronic-inflammatory-response-syndrome-diagnosis
ii) https://www.people.com/mikayla-matthews-says-she-s-barely-surviving-as-she-reveals-the-name-of-her-chronic-illness-11929761
iii) https://www.thelooker.thedailybeast.com/mormon-wives-star-mikayla-matthews-says-shes-barely-surviving-due-to-chronic-illness/
iv) https://www.mom.com/momlife/mikayla-matthews-mormon-wives-the-breakdown-with-bethany