Kevin McGarry, best known to audiences as one of the steady hearts of When Calls the Heart, has quietly shared a deeply personal story—one that unfolded during the final weeks of his wife Kayla Wallace’s pregnancy and took him by surprise.

What should have been a time defined by excitement and preparation for their first child instead became an unexpected emotional trial. McGarry revealed that he was diagnosed with severe Couvade syndrome, a little-known condition in which expectant fathers experience intense physical and emotional symptoms alongside their pregnant partners.

“It wasn’t something I had ever heard of before,” McGarry explained. “When the doctor told me what was happening, it finally made sense—but it didn’t make it any easier.”

He described days marked by exhaustion, nausea, sharp physical discomfort, and a growing sense of anxiety that seemed to arrive without warning. As Kayla’s due date drew closer, the weight of it all intensified.

“The closer we got, the harder it became to manage,” he admitted. “I wanted to be strong for her, but instead I felt overwhelmed—like my mind and body were working against me.”

McGarry shared that the emotional strain eventually reached a breaking point. Simple decisions became difficult. Sleep was elusive. Fear replaced clarity, and he found himself questioning his ability to be fully present as a husband and soon-to-be father.

“There were moments when panic took over,” he said. “I was afraid of failing her, afraid of not being enough when it mattered most.”

Medical professionals note that while Couvade syndrome is often mild, more intense cases can resemble serious anxiety-related conditions. For McGarry, finally understanding what he was experiencing brought a sense of relief—but also underscored how deeply the transition into parenthood had affected him.

Throughout it all, Kayla Wallace remained a steady source of strength. Even while navigating the physical demands of pregnancy herself, she offered reassurance and patience when McGarry struggled to find his footing.

“She never made me feel weak,” he reflected. “She reminded me that this was something we were facing together.”

Looking back, McGarry describes the experience as humbling—and transformative. It challenged his expectations of himself, but it also deepened his understanding of partnership, vulnerability, and resilience.

What began as an unanticipated struggle ultimately became a testament to the quiet strength that carried them through one of the most important chapters of their lives.