What Is The Rare Condition That Has Caused Jeannie Mai To Leave ‘DWTS’?

Jeannie Mai gave it her all — executing a tango, rumba, salsa, and more — but unfortunately her time on the dance floor has come to an end due to a rare medical condition.

The news was announced on Monday much to the dismay of Dancing With The Stars fans…

Jeannie Mai will not be able to continue to compete on #DWTS this season due to a health concern that requires immediate attention. Jeannie has inspired us, along with millions of fans, with her energy and dedication. We wish her a full and speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/HTgkhC5tXt

— Dancing with the Stars #DWTS (@DancingABC) November 2, 2020

“The Real” co-host was forced to leave the popular dancing show due to epiglottitis, a potentially life-threatening issue that occurs when the tissue protecting the windpipe becomes inflamed and causes swelling, blocking airflow to the lungs. The condition is very rare, affecting less than 20,000 people in the US per year.

Mai told ET Canada in a statement:

“It saddens me that I will not be able to continue with the competition on DWTS. My doctors discovered a health concern with my throat which requires immediate attention and surgery. I am heartbroken that my DWTS journey has to end here. The last several weeks have been an amazing learning experience. I have pushed myself to new limits physically and mentally, and I am so proud of how far we’ve come. I can’t thank my partner Brandon enough for being so supportive and believing in me. I also want to thank MAI fans who voted every week and I wish everyone else in the competition the best of luck!”

Jeannie’s partner Brandon posted a message sharing his love and support.

View this post on Instagram

JEANNIE! I’m so sorry this happened to you! You don’t deserve it! Your journey on this show was so special so unique and so inspiring! I loved EVERY SINGLE WEEK that we got to go through this together! I hope I helped give you an experience that you’ll remember forever! We share a lot of good times, tough times and all the times in between but mainly, a lot of laughs! Mainly you laughing at me but hey I’ll take it! 😂thank you for giving me such an amazing season! We will all be praying for a speedy recovery! ❤️ #teamdreamofjeannie always! 🙏🏽🔥

A post shared by Brandon Armstrong (@brandonarmstrong) on Nov 2, 2020 at 7:12am PST

And, of course Mai’s fan flooded timelines with encouraging words…

Thank you for being an incredible contestant and bringing so much joy to the show your journey was fun to watch and so bummed to see you go 😭❤️ wishing you a speedy and nice recovery @jeanniemai

— Thomas Steven 🍀 (@thomassteven00) November 2, 2020

Oh no!!!!! @jeanniemai I always look forward to your dances, your energy and your overall radiance, but your health is way more important than anything. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

— ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻Doe Eyes✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 (@__Doe_Eyes__) November 2, 2020

@jeanniemai thank you so much for the fun and positive energy you and Brandon brought to DWTS, going to miss you but wishing you a speedy recovery❤️❤️

— graysen (@gray_dwts) November 2, 2020

No word on Jeannie’s recovery time, but we’re sure fiancé Jeezy is right by her side taking great care of her. We wish Mai a speedy recovery!