'Fridge' Perry in serious condition at ARMC
Aiken's own William "Refrigerator" Perry, best known for his tenure as a defensive lineman for the NFL's Chicago Bears franchise, was recently hospitalized locally.
A spokesperson at Aiken Regional Medical Centers confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Perry is in serious condition.
One of Perry's family members mentioned Tuesday that the gentle giant's condition had improved in recent days. The Chicago Sun-Times' Kevin Allen reported Tuesday that Perry's nephew, Purnell, told the Sun-Times in a phone interview that his uncle entered Aiken Regional more than a week ago and is expected to make a full recovery.
The 46-year-old Perry was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a nervous system disorder that can progress to complete paralysis, in June 2008.
WebMD's website gives a more detailed synopsis of the disorder, calling it a "rare nervous system disorder that results from nerve damage caused by the body's own defenses, usually in response to an infection or other illness. GBS causes muscle weakness, loss of reflexes and numbness or tingling in the arms, legs, face and other parts of the body."
Perry, an Aiken High School product, played college football at Clemson and was drafted in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears with the 22nd pick.
Perry endeared himself to fans during his 10-year NFL career - a stretch that included the Bears' win in Super Bowl XX.
- Local events for Friday, Feb. 10
- State approves $13.5M for road work in city
- Pacer hoops squads look to erase bad memories
- Could the USC-Clemson rivalry game ever go away?
- LETTER: Create jobs instead of slamming unions
- OPINION: Statehouse tackles 'honest-to-goodness red-blooded battle'
- SC AG sues over rejected voter ID law
- New equipment allows larger planes to land at Aiken airport
- T-Bred girls get rivalry win
- AHS shines on Senior Night, forces Jackets into deep hole
Notice about comments:
AikenStandard.com is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. AikenStandard.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not AikenStandard.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
Full terms and conditions can be read here.