The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Mikayla Matthews has been open about her ongoing chronic illness battle.
Matthews revealed that she was dealing with several unidentified health issues during the 2024 inaugural season of the hit Hulu reality TV series. At the time, Matthews had not received an official diagnosis.
“[I] haven’t found any answers yet,” she exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2024. “I’m a lot better than I was, but I still have my ups and downs, so it’s just frustrating to not get any answers and feel like I’m on my own and then have to navigate being in this really exciting time while not feeling my best, and so that’s kind of been the trickiest.”
Two years later, Matthews publicly shared she was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS), an innate immune dysregulation involving a range of symptoms that simultaneously affect multiple organ systems, per the National Library of Medicine.
“I’m genuinely just barely surviving,” she wrote via her Instagram Story in March 2026. “Chronic illness is all consuming and I haven’t been able to show up as the mom I want to be for the last couple years. I just want to feel like myself again.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Matthews’ health battle:
What Were Mikayla Matthews’ Symptoms?
During the first season of Mormon Wives, Matthews suffered from red splotches on her skin. She underwent a “hair analysis test, urine test, stool test” for her condition but did not immediately receive a concrete diagnosis. Not only did Matthews struggle with the ailment while filming, but also while taking care of her and ex Jace Terry’s three kids.
“There was the time where the back of my legs and every crease was cut and bleeding, and I could barely even stand up and walk and take care of my kids,” she exclusively told Us in September 2024. “And so that was a really hard time. I feel like my confidence was at an all time low. I feel like my quality of life wasn’t great because I could barely do anything.”
What Did Mikayla Matthews Do For Treatment?
Matthews revealed that she dedicated a year to “removing all toxic things” from her diet, body and overall life.
“Took out my implants, infected root canal, mercury fillings, removed the toxic people from my life,” she wrote via Instagram in January 2025. “Did SO MUCH detoxing and finally have gotten some relief.”
What Happened After Mikayla Matthews Got Her Diagnosis?
After being diagnosed with CIRS, Matthews relocated from Utah to Hawaii to focus on her continued “healing.”
“I feel like I’m in a very transformative period of my health right now, making really big changes,” Matthews said in a May 2026 TikTok video. “I want to show my skin how it is and how it’s changing. I will be vlogging every single day and starting every video with a skin update.”
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