Jake Burton Recovering From Severe Illness
Rumors have been circulating in the action sports community that the founder of Burton Snowboards, Jake Burton Carpenter, has been extremely ill the last few months with a potentially life-threatening disease. Jake had successfully fought a bout of cancer a few years ago and has been living normally since. Burton’s PR team delivered the following release on June 24th to announce the status of Jake’s health.
We wish Jake and his family all the best; happy healing, a speedy recovering and a rapid return to the slopes.
Burlington, VT (June 24, 2015) — Right after the 2015 Burton US Open in March, Jake Burton, Founder & Chairman of Burton Snowboards, was diagnosed with a type of Guillan-Barre Syndrome called Miller Fisher Syndrome. Miller Fisher is an extremely rare disorder that results in the body’s own immune system attacking the nerves. Jake had a very severe case that caused temporary paralysis of his entire body, so he was put on full life support in the ICU for nearly two months at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire.
In late April, Jake made enough progress in his recovery to move to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston where he focused on an intensive rehab program. Thanks to his incredible progress, Jake is now back home in Vermont where he’s continuing to focus on physical therapy and is expected to make a full recovery over the next few months.
Jake, Donna and their entire family want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love, kindness and support during these very difficult months.
To read more about Miller Fisher Syndrome, we recommend visiting the National Institute of Health’s website here: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/miller_fisher/miller_fisher.htm
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