Kody Funderburk and his wife, Alicia
Credit: Minnesota Twins/X
NEED TO KNOW
Minnesota Twins pitcher Kody Funderburk’s wife, Alicia, was diagnosed with cancer while pregnant with the couple’s first baby, the MLB team shared on April 24
The Twins revealed that Alicia was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma after learning that she was pregnant in September
Kody and Alicia welcomed their daughter, Murphy Jo, on April 20, and Alicia is set to return to chemotherapy treatment soon
Minnesota Twins pitcher Kody Funderburk’s wife, Alicia, was diagnosed with cancer while pregnant with the couple’s first baby.
On Friday, April 24, the MLB team shared on social media that Alicia was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma — a type of blood cancer that develops in the white blood cells — after learning that she was pregnant in September.
The Twins said that Alicia has since undergone chemotherapy treatment, and on Monday, April 20, she and Kody welcomed a healthy baby girl named Murphy Jo.
“Fundy is back from the Paternity List, and we want to take a moment to share more of his and his wife’s story,” the team wrote. “While pregnant, Alicia, Kody’s wife, was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. After ongoing chemotherapy treatments, doctors are hopeful that she’ll make a full recovery.”
Kody Funderburk and his wife, Alicia
Credit: Minnesota Twins/X
In an Instagram Stories post on Friday, Alicia wrote that she and her husband “have been on cloud 9 these last few days, enjoying so many newborn snuggles.”
“Thank you to everyone for all the prayers and support. It means the world to us,” the new mom wrote, per the New York Post.
In another Instagram post, shared just a few days before she and Kody welcomed their newborn, Alicia got candid about everything that had happened during her pregnancy
“While this season of life hasn’t looked how we imagined, Kody and I are beyond grateful for all the love, prayers and support around us. We have been constantly reminded of how blessed we are every step of the way,” she wrote.
“Baby Fundy is already so loved (and clearly already likes to keep things interesting),” she added. “We can’t wait to meet them in a few days! ❤️.”
Kody Funderburk’s wife, Alicia
Credit: Minnesota Twins/X
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Speaking to the St. Paul Pioneer Press earlier in the week, Kody said that their family was grateful that Alicia became pregnant when she did — as they were unsure if the cancer would have been detected immediately otherwise.
“We caught it early enough. It was just more about, ‘OK, what do we need to do?’ ” he told the newspaper. “Kind of like how baseball is, you kind of get to your process, ‘OK, what’s next?’ ‘OK, go execute that.’ ‘What’s next?’ ‘OK, let’s do that.’ “
“Every step of the way, our doctors and team were super supportive and compassionate. Never once did we ever feel like this was going to get out of hand or anything like that,” the pitcher added.
The family also shared that Alicia halted her chemotherapy as she neared her due date, and she is now set to resume treatment in a few weeks.
“Yeah, this sucks, but we do have a lot of positives to be thankful for,” Kody told the Pioneer Press. “I think that’s really what you lean into when something like this is going on.”
The Twins added in their post, “We are inspired by the strength and positivity the Funderburks have shown and we wish them the very best and continue to support them on and off the field.”
Read the original article on People