New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday has shared that his wife, Lauren Holiday, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor while pregnant with the couple’s first child. They are expecting next month, and her brain surgery won’t occur until after she gives birth. The timeline for her recovery will keep Holiday out of action for the start of the 2016-17 season as he aids his wife.
via NOLA.com:
The good news was the tumor was operable and not a threat to the Holidays’ unborn daughter. After successful surgery, doctors were confident Lauren would return to full health.
The brain surgery, however, would need to wait until after Lauren gave birth, pushing the procedure and her recovery well into the NBA regular season. Consequently, Holiday, finally healthy after an injury-riddled three-year tenure with the Pelicans, is expected to miss an indefinite period of time during the regular season while serving as a caretaker for his wife and newborn.
“My family comes before basketball,” said Holiday, 26. “I’m obviously blessed to play this game and be in the position I am in, but my wife is the most important thing in the world to me. She comes before anything else.”
The Pelicans are in full support of Holiday taking as much time as he needs during this difficult period:
“The most important thing for Jrue to do right now is be with his wife and family,” Gentry said in a statement. “Every one of our coaches and players understands what Lauren and Jrue are going through, and they know we’re behind them 100 percent.
“We’ll continue to do everything we can to support them and help them get through these hard times.”
“We encourage Jrue to take as much time as he needs to be with his wife and family before returning to the Pelicans,” Demps said in a statement. “Mr. and Mrs. (Tom) Benson’s top priority is the health and wellness of the people in the organization.
“We understand that Jrue will miss some games, and his teammates are prepared to step up in his absence. We will welcome Jrue back with open arms when he is ready to return to the team.
Despite the circumstance, it must be comforting to Holiday to know that he and his family have the support of the Pelicans franchise. He’s finally fully healthy, but the health of his family during this scary time is and should be the priority before getting back on the court.
We have Lauren and the Holiday family in our thoughts.
