Minnesota Twins pitcher Kody Funderburk and his wife Alicia have welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Murphy Jo, after Alicia was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma during her pregnancy.
The team shared the news on X (formerly Twitter) on April 25, posting: "Fundy is back from the Paternity List, but we want to take a moment to share more of his and his wife's story." A follow-up post added: "While pregnant, Alicia, Kody’s wife, was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma. After ongoing chemotherapy treatments, doctors are hopeful that she'll make a full recovery."
Baby Murphy Jo arrived on April 20, and the team confirmed: "Both Alicia and Murphy are doing well!" The Twins added: "We are inspired by the strength and positivity the Funderburks have shown, and we wish them the very best."
Alicia had earlier opened up about her diagnosis on Instagram, writing: "A little photo recap and life update from the last few months. From getting pregnant to being diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma, life recently has had some surprises." She expressed gratitude for the support and said: "Baby Fundy is already so loved (and clearly already likes to keep things interesting)."
Kody emphasized the importance of early detection, telling the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "We caught it early enough. It was just more about, 'OK, what do we need to do?' Kind of like how baseball is, you kind of get to your process, 'OK, what’s next? OK, go execute that. What’s next? OK, let’s do that.'"