Mikayla Matthews became emotional while preparing to leave the family home she said made her sick.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives alum shared a tearful TikTok on October 11. She was packing up the house with husband Jace Terry and their four children.
Matthews said the home had caused major stress. At the same time, it held many important family memories.
Mikayla Matthews opens up about leaving her Utah home amid ongoing health struggles
“We just packed up things to move out of our house. I didn’t think I would be this emotional about it,” Matthews said.
The 26-year-old explained why leaving felt complicated.
“This house has been like a huge stressor in my life, but it’s also brought us … we just created our whole family there, brought all our babies home there,” she said.
Matthews included a montage of family moments inside the property. She then showed herself standing inside the framework of their new home. The new house was still under construction.
As per Us Weekly, she also connected the move to her ongoing health issues.
“No one talks about what it’s like to be living in a home that’s making you sick,” she wrote over the video.
Matthews has said she suffers from chronic inflammatory response syndrome, or CIRS.
She said the experience made her anxious, depressed and dysregulated. She also said she felt unsafe inside a place where she should have felt secure.
Matthews further said the experience left her with PTSD. According to her, it became difficult to feel safe in other buildings and living environments.
Earlier in March, Matthews said prolonged exposure to toxins, specifically mold, caused her CIRS.
She also described how the condition affected her confidence. Matthews said there was a period when she struggled to look people in the eyes because of her skin.
The reality star said she had turned down many events, premieres and other opportunities for the same reason.
In her latest post, Matthews addressed people who asked why she did not simply sell the house earlier.
“We bought a home,” she wrote.
She added that she wanted to discuss the illness in greater depth. Matthews said the mental side of CIRS remained complicated and deserved more attention.
In September, Matthews announced her exit from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives during production of Season 6.
Her latest update focused on another major transition. She was leaving a home connected to both painful health struggles and meaningful family memories.
