Getty Images Peta Murgatroyd's father is ill.
A “Dancing With the Stars” pro has opened up about some heartbreaking family news. Fans of the show may know that Peta Murgatroyd’s father’s health hasn’t been good over the past several months, but she hasn’t shared what’s been going on.
Murgatroyd recently jetted off to Australia — where her parents both live — because her dad’s health had rapidly declined. Her husband, Maks Chmerkovskiy, was forced to cancel an appearance due to a “family emergency,” though he and Murgatroyd didn’t give any more details.
On December 11, 2022, however, Murgatroyd posted a couple of videos to her Instagram Stories, revealing that her dad was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis in May 2022.
Here’s what you need to know:
Murgatroyd Said Her Family Was ‘Devastated’ Following Her Dad’s Diagnosis
Murgatroyd shared posts on her Instagram Stories live from Perth, Australia.
“You’ve probably seen that we had a family situation here. My dad is very unwell,” the DWTS pro shared in a “personal update.” She went on to say that she visited her family in May but didn’t “share much” because it was “personal” and “really sad.”
“My dad was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. And there’s no cure for it. It’s like, your lungs become scarred and the scarring just, kind of, continues. Elevates. Gets larger. And, eventually, the whole lungs will be scarred,” she said.
As Murgatroyd stated, the disease damages the lungs over time. According to the Mayo Clinic, doctors usually can’t tell what causes the scarring. The condition is treated with medications and other therapies and some patients are put on a lung transplant list. According to the American Lung Association, the general prognosis for a patient diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis is three to five years, though patients can and often do fall outside of that range — either shorter or much longer, depending on how the body responds to treatment.
“That was a pretty big blow,” Murgatroyd admitted. “We were all pretty devastated.”
Murgatroyd’s Dad Was Diagnosed With COVID
Murgatroyd said that her dad had been managing well over the past few months but was recently placed in a nursing home for more round-the-clock care. While in the nursing home, her father caught COVID and was taken to an ICU.
“He was okay. Stable. And then, boom. He got COVID,” Murgatroyd said on her Instagram Stories. She went on to say that the sickness “ruined everything” and that he was admitted to the hospital two days after he was diagnosed.
“He was bad,” she continued. “My brother and mother told me to come home so I came home immediately.” Murgatroyd said she’s been with her father every day. At one point, her dad had an “episode” where he “nearly flat-lined.”
She did have some good news to share as her dad was doing a bit better and had “better oxygen flow.” He was set to be transferred to a different hospital — and out of the ICU.
Murgatroyd said that the lasting effects of COVID could have a really negative impact on her dad and she isn’t sure when he will be released from the hospital. “Doesn’t look like anytime soon,” she shared.
Murgatroyd will be in Australia for a few more days before heading back to The States for the Christmas holiday.
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