Jared Maynard, a 34-year-old from Ontario, Canada, went from being in peak physical condition to fighting for his life after what he initially thought was a minor cold. His condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to a diagnosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and life-threatening immune system disorder.
HLH caused Maynard's immune system to attack his own body, leading to multi-organ failure that affected his liver and kidneys. Doctors identified the Epstein-Barr virus as the trigger for the HLH in his case. The disease has a 40 percent mortality rate.
Maynard was placed on life support and hospice care for nearly two months. He eventually began to recover but faced significant muscle wasting, requiring him to relearn basic functions such as walking, sitting, standing, speaking, and breathing over the next two months.
Months after recovering from HLH, Maynard began experiencing vision loss, with his peripheral sight diminishing. This was a progression of choroideremia, a genetic eye disease he had been diagnosed with as a teenager. Choroideremia, which affects approximately one in 50,000 people, causes progressive degeneration of the retina and choroid, typically leading to legal blindness.
Doctors initially expected Maynard's condition to progress more slowly, potentially not significantly impacting his vision until his 50s or 60s. However, they now believe his near-fatal bout with HLH accelerated the decline, likely due to the inflammation and cellular stress associated with the illness.
Maynard, who was considered one of the fittest men alive and a competitive bodybuilder, now finds himself legally blind. He has had to adapt to his vision impairment, using a white cane and assistive technologies like screen readers. He is also in the process of obtaining a guide dog.
Despite the challenges, Maynard remains determined. He is working to regain his strength and aims to return to competitive bodybuilding by the end of the year. He described his current mindset as guided by the phrase, "you're not done yet," emphasizing that while some things may not return to how they were, he continues to strive to become the person he wants to be.