Jamie-Lynn Sigler, one of the stars of the popular and critically-acclaimed series, “The Sopranos,” shared a video on Instagram of her 10-year-old son, Beau, finally leaving the hospital after he was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder known as acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, or ADEM. The young boy had been hospitalized for 33 days.
“After 33 days, we are busting out of here! My brave boy, you are a walking miracle,” Sigler wrote along with the clip shared on Aug. 16. “The rest of this story will be Beau’s to tell, if he chooses to one day.” That is a beautiful way to handle the situation. Allowing Beau to decide for himself whether or not he wants to be thrust into the limelight over his illness. Many celebrities parade their children, especially if they have an illness, all over social media as a means of engaging with their audience and gaining more followers and support.
“Thank you to the INCREDIBLE staff at Dells Children’s Hospital. The way you take care of your patients and the way you guide their families through the process, I just don’t have enough words,” she continued, according to a report from PEOPLE. “I’m in awe of your patience, dedication, and expertise … But, no offense … I hope we never see you again✌️.”
“Thank you all for the love and prayers. They worked. 🙏🏻🩷,” Sigler said at the conclusion of the post.
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The preview photo of the post showed Beau standing with his back to the camera in what appeared to be a waiting room pointing to himself as a caption above him read, “Heros this way,” with an arrow pointing to the left. In the video shared, a smiling Beau walked down the hospital corridor to loud cheers from medical staff and patients, who lined each side of the corridor as they watched him leave. At one point, the 10-year-old skipped down the hallway as he high-fived some of those cheering him on.
Following Beau’s hospital exit, Sigler also reshared a post on her Instagram Stories about having a “Lifequake,” defining it as, “A significant, sudden and unexpected shift in the trajectory of your life that initially feels devastating but has the beneficial outcome of catalyzing personal growth, transformation and rebirth.” Her latest hopeful post regarding Beau comes after revealing his “nightmare” diagnosis on Instagram on Aug. 6.
“4 weeks ago, what seemed like a normal virus for our son, turned into a nightmare,” she said in a post that included a photo of her and Beau smiling “Beau has what we believe to be, ADEM.”
ADEM is an acute, rapidly progressive autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, which is typically caused by inflammation due to a prior infection or immunization, per the National Institute of Health.
“To say this has been hard, is an understatement, and I’ve never felt more broken,” Sigler went on to explain, adding, , that she has also never felt more love” from her supportive friends and family, including her husband Cutter Dykstra and son Jack, 6.
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During an episode of the MeSsy podcast with host Christina Applegate, Sigler said that just before Beau was admitted to the hospital for his lengthy stay, some of the symptoms he exhibited included a dangerously high fever of 105-degrees and a headache that hurt so bad the poor child was “screaming” that his head hurt. He was also not able to eat or urinate.
What a horrifying illness to have. And this is likely going to be chronic in nature, so Beau has a long battle ahead of him. Sending prayers and positive thoughts to Sigler and her son.