All About Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s Older Son Beau

Beau was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder in July 2024

The Sopranos alum Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who has lived with multiple sclerosis since she was 20 years old, fiercely advocated for her son Beau Kyle Dykstra when he got sick.

In July 2024, Beau, 11, was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder — and doctors weren’t sure if he’d survive.

“What seemed like a normal virus for our son, turned into a nightmare. Beau has what we believe to be ADEM [acute disseminated encephalomyelitis],” Sigler shared on Instagram.

The disorder caused Beau’s spine and brain to become severely inflamed. He was unable to eat, urinate, walk or stay awake, and he was suffering from high fevers and debilitating headaches.

“I’ve never felt more broken,” the actress said of watching her older son suffer.

Beau spent 33 days in the hospital — nearly two weeks of which were spent in the ICU — before he was allowed to go home. He is expected to make a full recovery.

"[Beau is] doing really, really well," Sigler told PEOPLE in September 2024. "I'm proud of him, and he's coming out on the other side and so, for me as a mom, I'm doing a lot better, too."

Sigler and her husband, Cutter Dykstra, who have been married since 2016, welcomed Beau in August 2013. His little brother, Jack Adam Dykstra, arrived roughly five years later in January 2018.

Here’s everything to know about Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s older son, Beau.

He was born in August 2013

Beau was born on Aug. 28, 2013, in Los Angeles. When he was 7, Sigler and Dykstra decided to move their family to Austin and put down roots.

He was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disorder 

In July 2024, Beau was diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) — a rare and severe inflammatory autoimmune disorder affecting the central nervous system.

“It’s a very rare neurological autoimmune response that kids can get from a simple virus, like a cold or strep. [Doctors] compared it to getting struck by lightning. It’s the most rare thing,” Sigler explained on her podcast MeSsy.

After rounds and rounds of testing, doctors discovered that Beau’s brain and spine were “completely inflamed.” This impacted his ability to talk coherently, walk and even pee.

“They scanned his bladder. It was like 450, more than any little bladder can hold. He’s screaming in pain if you touch his body. They had to put a catheter in,” Sigler explained, fighting back tears. “It was the darkest, hardest, most f— up thing I’ve ever been through. Every time you would get a little bit of good news, you’d get slapped in the face with something else.”

Doctors moved Beau to the ICU where he spent 13 days.

“There [were] moments in the night when he’s crying. And he’ll say, ‘I want my old life back. I’m trying to get rid of the sickness, Mama,’ “ Sigler added.

After 33 days in the hospital and several touch-and-go moments, Beau was healthy enough to go home.

“We are busting out of here! My brave boy, you are a walking miracle,” Sigler wrote on Instagram in August 2024 alongside a video of Beau getting a special send-off from doctors and nurses at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin. “The rest of this story will be Beau’s to tell if he chooses to one day.”

He has a younger brother named Jack

Beau became a big brother when Jack entered the world on Jan. 15, 2018.

Jack visited his older brother in the hospital while he was being treated for ADEM.

“It was when he was bad, in a wheelchair, couldn’t hold his head up, drooling,” Sigler shared on her podcast. “Jack needed to see him. He ran up to Beau and I could see the shock on his face.”

Once Beau was out of the woods, the mom of two later thanked her younger son in a post on Instagram.

“Jack, while you are only 6, the way you just ‘got it’ and turned into a caretaker for your brother with each hospital visit reminds me of the beauty in this world,” she wrote.

He inspired Sigler to publicly reveal her multiple sclerosis diagnosis 

Sigler was diagnosed with MS at 20 years old, but she didn’t speak publicly about the illness until January 2016.

"It was getting harder to hide. I was tired of making excuses," she told PEOPLE of her decision to open up about her diagnosis. Sigler was also inspired by Beau and the conversations they shared as mother and son.

“As his mom, [I] tell him that you should never be ashamed of anything. I was confident enough to allow myself to be fully who I am,” the actress added.

Now that Beau is older, Sigler says he is “very sensitive, conscious and caring” regarding her health. “He’s concerned about me,” she said in a November 2023 interview with PEOPLE.

He plays baseball like his dad 

Dykstra, who is the son of former New York Mets player and World Series champion Lenny Dykstra, played minor league baseball for many years. Now, Beau has picked up the sport.

Amid her son’s recovery from ADEM, Sigler shared that she had a “dream of him hitting his first home run.”

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