Burton Snowboards disclosed that its founder and chairman Jake Burton is expected to make a full recover after spending nearly two months on full life support in the ICU to treat a type of Guillan-Barre Syndrome called Miller Fisher Syndrome.
In a press release, the company said Burton was admitted for treatment following the 2015 Burton US Open in March. 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,” the releases stated.
In late April, Jake made enough progress in his recovery to move to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, MA 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 the entire Burton family want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love, kindness and support during these very difficult months,” the company said.
The illness mark's Burton second major health scare since 2011, when he revealed he was being treated for testicular cancer. To read more about Miller Fisher Syndrome, visit the National Institute of Health’s website.
Burton founded Burton Snowboards out of his Vermont barn in 1977 and has dedicated his life to snowboarding ever since. He played a pivotal role in growing snowboarding from a backyard hobby to a world-class sport by creating ground-breaking products, supporting a team of top snowboarders and pushing resorts to allow snowboarding. Today, Burton designs and manufactures products for snowboarding and the snowboard lifestyle, including snowboards, boots, bindings, outerwear and layering as well as year-round apparel, packs/bags and accessories. Privately held and owned by Jake and his wife, Burton president Donna Carpenter, Burton’s headquarters are in Burlington, VT with offices in Austria, Japan, Australia, California, Canada and China.
