Amy Duggar King Shares Health Update on Husband Dillon After ‘Rare’ Condition ‘Displaced’ His Organs (Exclusive)

Amy Duggar King is sharing an update on her husband, Dillon King, after he endured health challenges earlier this year.

As the 19 Kids and Counting alum geared up to celebrate Dillon’s birthday in April, she revealed the moment was bittersweet as her longtime love was seeking medical attention while “facing some possible life threatening medical concerns.” She also shared a photo of Dillon lying in a gurney on social media.

Amy then told PEOPLE that Dillon had “been diagnosed with a severe diaphragmatic rupture — an extremely rare and dangerous condition that has caused vital organs, including his kidney and parts of his digestive system, to shift into his chest cavity.” Dillon’s CT scans also showed a nearly 4-inch tear in his diaphragm and his right kidney, appendix, colon and small intestines were also “all displaced.”

Now, Amy reveals to PEOPLE that her spouse is in much better shape.

“Dillon was experiencing so much pain that doctors ran several tests,” says Amy, 39, whose new book, Holy Disruptor, arrives on Oct. 14. “We eventually found out it was connected to Celiac disease.”

According to Mayo Clinic, Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition involving the immune system’s reaction to gluten. It can sometimes cause damage to the small intestine.

“Changing his diet has already made a big difference,” Amy shares. “But he also still has a diaphragmatic issue that we’re working through to figure out the next best steps.”

Amy and Dillon have been married since September 2015. They are also parents to a 5-year-old son, Daxton.

“We’ve been married for 10 years now,” she says of her love story. “It wasn’t until he brought that girl to the bonfire that I was like, ‘Oh, wait a second. Why am I feeling a certain way about this guy that I’ve known for six years?’ He’s been under my nose the entire time, and I never considered him marriage material in any kind of way.”

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“I realized that love is someone who walks through life with you, and does life with you, and stands up for you and supports you. And that was Dillon all along. It was like this crazy love story where he just showed up for me when no one else did,” she adds.

Amy’s family is among the things she cherishes most these days. “My husband and my mom and Daxie are my world,” she says.

“It’s the most amazing thing to know that the things that I prayed for when I was a little girl are now my everyday life.”

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Amy opens up about her love story, and several other moments she’s endured over the years, in her new book, Holy Disruptor.

“I wanted to stop myself so many times because I wanted to stop writing, and I didn’t want to believe in myself,'” she explains. “I literally convinced myself halfway through, ‘No one’s going to read this. No one is going to pay attention to what I have to say. My voice is still small, and I’m not going to be enough for the people that are wanting to read this story.'”

She adds, “I really had to transform the way I was thinking. And I was like, ‘No, this story could help someone out there.'”

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