MLB pitcher Kody Funderburk’s wife Alicia was diagnosed with cancer while pregnant with the couple’s first child.
In a series of social media posts shared on Saturday, April 25, via X by the Minnesota Twins, of which Kody recently rejoined after taking paternity leave for the April 20 birth of daughter Murphy Jo, Alicia’s health journey was detailed.
“Fundy is back from the Paternity List but we want to take a moment to share more of his and his wife’s story,” the posts began, sharing a photo of Kody, 29, standing beside a pregnant Alicia with a scarf wrapped around her head. A second post shared another snap of pregnant Alicia, this time seated in a hospital chair.
“While pregnant, Alicia, Kody’s wife, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma,” the photo was captioned. “After ongoing chemotherapy treatments, doctors are hopeful that she’ll make a full recovery.”
According to Mayo Clinic, Hodgkin lymphoma “is cancer that affects the lymphatic system” and is “highly treatable and often curable,” with treatments including “chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, bone marrow transplant … and clinical trials.”
The team’s announcement comes after Alicia shared her diagnosis via her Instagram account on April 15, just five days prior to Murphy’s arrival. “A little photo recap and life update from the last few months…From getting pregnant to being diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma, life recently has had some surprises,” she captioned a carousel of photos that included those shared by her husband’s MLB team. “While this season of life hasn’t looked how we imagined, Kody and I are beyond grateful for all the love, prayers, and support around us. We have been constantly reminded of how blessed we are every step of the way.”
The post also commented on her excitement over welcoming Murphy into the world. “Baby Fundy is already so loved (and clearly already likes to keep things interesting). We can’t wait to meet them in a few days!❤️,” she wrote at the time.
The Twins had announced the arrival of Murphy via its X upload, sharing in another post, “Baby Fundy arrived on Monday, April 20th – a healthy baby girl, Murphy Jo. Both Alicia and Murphy are doing well!”
The team continued, “We are inspired by the strength and positivity the Funderburks have shown. We wish them the very best and continue to support them on and off the field.”
Kody, who was drafted from Dallas Baptist University in 2018 and made his MLB debut in 2023, told St. Paul Pioneer Press in an April 19 interview that the cancer was caught “early enough,” sparking an immediate action plan.
“It was just more about, ‘OK, what do we need to do?’” the athlete told the outlet at the time. “Kind of like how baseball is, you kind of get to your process, ‘OK, what’s next? OK, go execute that. What’s next? OK, let’s do that.’”
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