Kaleigh Wilder, host of WDET’s Visions, will be taking a temporary leave of absence from the show while she receives treatment for a functional neurological disorder (FND) affecting her speech.

The Detroit-based baritone saxophonist, improviser and Kresge Artist Fellow shared details about her ongoing health struggles in an Instagram post on Monday, calling them “debilitating.”

“FND is a disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions which, for me, affect my jaw, tongue, and muscles in the neck,” Wilder said. “Back in August the muscle contractions in my tongue and around my throat literally made it so I couldn’t blow a steady stream of air into my instrument. I haven’t been able to play in months.”

As the disorder progressed, it began to affect her speech as well, leading her to make the decision to take a step back from Visions for the next 2-3 months to pursue treatment and focus on her health.

“The good news is that this is treatable. I will get better and return to the horn,” she said. “I couldn’t deal with this alone, so to my partner, family, friends, and colleagues who have been supporting me through this: THANK YOU. You’ve all kept me grounded and hopeful.”

Of course, we at WDET fully support Wilder’s sabbatical to focus on healing, and know that Visions fans will echo that sentiment.

We look forward to hearing Wilder back on WDET’s airwaves soon, and in the meantime, WDET Creative Producer and music aficionado Sam Beaubien will be keeping Wilder’s seat warm until a more permanent fill-in host is confirmed.

Read Wilder’s full statement here.

Visions explores the vanguard of postmodern jazz from 1969 to today. Listen every Monday from 8-10 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET.