The Fridge Isn’t Running Anymore

Last summer I saw William “The Refrigerator” Perry doing a promotion at a minor league baseball game in Oklahoma City. My first thought when I saw him was that he didn’t look healthy. He was in a wheel chair and most disturbingly looked skinny. I spent the evening explaining to my 12-year old son how he was once an imposing force for the 1985 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears and was actually larger than life in personality.

Turns out that my fears regarding his health were true. The Fridge has been diagnosed with a rare condition that occurs when immune system cells mistakenly attack nerve cells that support the muscles called Guillain-Barre Syndrome. He’s been hospitalized in a South Carolina hospital and is in serious condition.

I’ve never tried Perry’s barbecue sauce and I never looked at The Super Bowl Shuffle as anything more than a humorous attempt to capitalize on the fame the team earned on the football field. However, as a kid I did have the Fridge’s G.I. Joe action figure.

Perry conquered the football world with a Super Bowl Championship. He conquered the world of entertainment with several appearances on network shows and sitcoms as well as other celebrity events. He conquered the business world with the development of his own construction company. Here’s to hoping that he conquers this illness as well.