Hockey Player Shares His Journey With Chronic Immune Response Disorder. What Is It?

On Wednesday, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews opened up about his health struggles that led to him missing most of the entire 2020-21 hockey season. Toews was struggling with symptoms from chronic immune response syndrome.

“There’s a lot of things that piled up, where my body just fell apart,’’ Toews shared in a video posted to his Twitter. ‘‘I just couldn’t quite recover, and my immune system was reacting to everything that I did. Any kind of stress, anything that I would do throughout the day, there was always that stress response.” You can watch the full video below:

I wasn’t too vocal about the things I went through this year. I appreciate the understanding and support and wanted to share this message on where I’m at. pic.twitter.com/3qgftKki10

— Jonathan Toews (@JonathanToews) June 30, 2021

Chronic immune response syndrome is a “biotoxin illness triggered by exposure to mold,” according to Jellison Integrative MD’s website. This condition does not appear to be recognized by the Centers for Disease Control or the National Institutes of Health. Symptoms could include headaches, muscle aches, and nausea.

Toews also shared that he hopes to return to playing hockey in the upcoming season. ‘‘I’m excited to get back to the United Center and play and just go out there and have fun,’’ he said. ‘‘My best is going to come through.’’

While not all of us can be a professional hockey player, returning to sports can be an important step for people after developing a chronic illness or disability. At the same time, many people may need new accommodations.

In an article for The Mighty, Courtney Mould gave suggestions for how to return to sports after a traumatic brain injury. “Make a plan and go over it with someone, such as your physical therapist, and see if you are at that point in your recovery,” she wrote. “You can even ask your physical or occupational therapist to implement your sport of choice into your session.”