Founder of Burton Snowboards, Jake Burton Carpenter, has been extremely ill the last few months with a potentially life-threatening disease. He has been diagnosed with a type of Guillan-Barre Syndrome called Miller Fisher Syndrome, an extremely rare disorder that results in the body’s own immune system attacking the nerves.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the prognosis for most individuals with Miller Fisher syndrome is good. In most cases, recovery begins within 2 to 4 weeks of the onset of symptoms, and may be almost complete within 6 months. Some individuals are left with residual deficits. Relapses may occur rarely (in less than 3 percent of cases).
Jake had successfully fought a bout of cancer a few years ago and has been living normally since.
The following message was given by Burton’s PR team on June 24th.
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
We wish Jake and his family all the best and a speedy recovering.