What’s Wrong With Hen On ‘9-1-1’? Is Aisha Hinds Leaving ‘9-1-1’? And What Is Dermatomyositis?

After weeks of agonizing suspense, 9-1-1 finally revealed what’s wrong with Aisha Hinds’ character, Hen in Season 9, Episode 8. And in true 9-1-1 fashion, the diagnosis is a doozy…

Concern for Hen’s wellbeing sparked earlier in Season 9 when she started experiencing mysterious symptoms, including tremors, loss of balance, rashes, migraines, muscle soreness, loss of consciousness, and more. While the paramedic tried to diagnose herself, she kept her symptoms a secret. But in Episode 907, her wife Karen (Tracie Thoms) learned the truth, as did the 118. How? Hen collapsed on the job! And after learning how severe her heath issues were, Chimney (Kenneth Choi) made the difficult decision to fire her.

In Season 9, Episode 8, the 118 held an intervention in hopes of getting Hen and Chim back together. But after an emotional Hen explained why she kept her illness a secret and reflected on how much Bobby’s death impacted the team, she collapsed and woke in the hospital to a diagnosis. So what is wrong with Hen on 9-1-1? Is dermatomyositis real? And is Aisha Hinds leaving 9-1-1?! Here’s what we know.

What Is Wrong With Hen On 9-1-1? 9-1-1 Season 9, Episode 8 Recap:

When Hen woke up in the hospital a doctor finally delivered some conclusive test results, saying, “You have something called dermatomyositis.”

What’s dermatomyositis?! And how did Hen get it?! “It’s an autoimmune connective tissue disorder,”the doctor continued. “We think it’s genetic. But there have been environmental triggers linked to its onset. In your case, I think it might have something to do with a large dose of ultraviolet radiation [from] the space capsule missing a door.”

NOOOOOOO!

When asked if there was a cure for the disorder, the doctor explained, “Unfortunately, no. This disease is progressive. Untreated, the fatigue and weakness will escalate into pain and an inability to stand, move, perform certain everyday functions. Dysphasia can occur, at which point it will become difficult, if not impossible, to eat, or swallow, or even breathe.”

PAUSE! Tim Minear, what the heck, man!? We’re barely functioning after Bobby’s death and you dump this on us and the 9-1-1 team? UGH! If there’s one thing we know, it’s that Hen and her family are strong. So while her diagnosis sounds grim, you’d better believe they’ll do anything in their power to get it under control.

When Karen asked about next steps, the doctor suggested using “a combination of medications and physical therapy” to stop the symptoms from majorly impacting Hen’s quality of life. “It’s gonna be a fight,” he warned, to which Hen replied, “I’m ready for it.” And Chim assured her, “So are we.”

What Is Dermatomyositis? Is Dermatomyositis Real?

When 9-1-1 fans hear Hen’s life-altering diagnosis, they’ll likely be asking, “Is dermatomyositis real?!” So we did some research. Turns out dermatomyositis is a very real, rare, incurable, and potentially fatal disease that can be managed with medication and physical therapy, just like the 9-1-1 doctor suggested.

As we saw in Hen’s case, dermatomyositis can cause rashes, joint pain, and muscle weakness. Per Cleveland Clinic, “Around one in every 100,000 people develop it each year… [And] has also been found to increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer.”

Physical therapy is key to rebuilding muscles and maintaining strength, and though the disorder is very serious, symptoms can reportedly improve a few months after starting treatment.

Is Hen Dying? Or Is Aisha Hinds Leaving 9-1-1?

According to Cleveland Clinic data, “Dermatomyositis is fatal for approximately 5% of people diagnosed with it. This is especially true in the first year after being diagnosed. But, about 20% of people with dermatomyositis go into long-term remission.”

The medical center notes that waiting more than six months to start treatment can increase a risk of death, so hopefully the fact that Hen’s symptoms started approximately three months prior to her diagnosis puts her in a better position for treatment to be successful.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Unless production spoils something out in the open and it’s well documented on social media, like Bobby’s entire funeral procession, we all have to watch to find out what happens. Even reporters don’t know Hen’s fate, but in her own words, “You really think after losing Bobby we’re ready to see another firefighter go down?”

“Losing Bobby broke us all into pieces, individually and as a team. [Note: And as viewers!] We couldn’t take another hit,” Hen told her loved ones earlier in the episode. I can’t imagine a world in which 9-1-1 would dare — or can really afford to — kill off another main character and lose another core cast member so soon after Bobby/Krause. But I’ll be the first to admit that I never thought the show would kill off the 118’s beloved captain and the show’s patriarch to begin with. So anything seems possible in a post-Bobby world.

Still, can you imagine doing that to Karen? To Athena? To the 118 members and fans who are still grieving? Hen herself said, “I love my job. I’m not ready for this to be the end of my story.” And while we’re unsure what her diagnosis means for her career in the long run, we hope this isn’t setting Hinds up to depart the series. (She was just in the BuzzFeed puppy interview, so she can’t be leaving! Right?!) Tune in next Thursday for more answers in Episode 9, and fingers crossed that this show has mercy on us all!

New episodes of 9-1-1 Season 9 premiere Thursdays on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu.