Former NFL starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disorder that causes paralysis. Wuerffel noticed he was losing sensation in his legs and strength in his arms shortly after he battled a stomach virus June 4. It’s thought that his immune system started to attack the nerves that control movement and sensation, mistaking them for the virus. Okay, but what is the ailment really all about and what has been its history over time?

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare but serious autoimmune disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system. It is usually caused by an acute infectious process. The peripheral nervous system is the portion of the nervous system that is outside the brain and spinal cord.

Autoimmune means the patient’s immune system goes wrong and attacks good tissue, which in this case are nerve cells which communicate with muscles. The individual with Guillain-Barre syndrome will initially experience a tingly and numbing sensation in the limbs, as well as weakness in the same areas. If these sensations spread, which they often do, the entire body eventually becomes paralyzed. Typically, symptoms start in the lower limbs and eventually spread upwards.

Wuerffel is not completely paralyzed, but has been advised by his doctors to stay immobile during his recovery, his wife said. However, it’s unclear how long that recovery will take.

In 1859, the disorder was first described by the French physician Jean Landry. In 1916, Georges Guillain, Jean Alexandre Barre, and Andre Strohl diagnosed two soldiers with the illness. They discovered the key diagnostic abnormality of increased spinal fluid protein production, but normal cell count.

Recent reports reveal that U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt was not paralyzed because of polio – it was caused by Guillain-Barre syndrome. Other well known people who developed Guillain-Barre syndrome include Andy Griffith (Matlock, the Andy Griffith Show), Tachel Chagall (actress), Markus Babbel (international footballer), Hans Vonk (Dutch music conductor), Tony Benn (UK politician), Len Pasquerelli (ESPN sports writer), Hiroko Mima (Miss Universe Japan 2008, diagnosed at 13 years of age), Saituni Onyango (paternal aunt of President Obama).

We don’t know exactly what causes Guillain-Barre syndrome, but experts say it is preceded by an acute infectious process in a significant number of cases.

Wuerffel, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1996 while playing for the Florida Gators, was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1997. He played for the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins before retiring from the National Football League in 2002. He now heads up Desire Street Ministries, a Christian charity that serves impoverished communities in New Orleans.

In a significant number of cases, patients make a full recovery and have no symptoms later on.

Written by Sy Kraft