The wife of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford needs your prayers after doctors recently discovered a brain tumor sitting on her cranial nerves. In a candid Instagram
“This is a picture of Matthew & I the day we found out,” she began. “I said I wanted this picture of
Stafford described a series of concerning events in which she experienced severe dizziness, and eventually vertigo.
“Within the last year, I began to notice things that I thought was just me getting older.. I would show my girls how to do a front roll or twirl in ballet class and immediately feel dizzy & off balance… Things that I had been doing my entire life were now, all of a sudden, difficult,” she wrote. “
In January, Stafford experienced her first spell of vertigo. After several more spells — including one instance when the mother of three was hold her infant daughter, Hunter — her husband took her straight to the hospital.
Initial bloodwork and test showed nothing out of the ordinary, but Stafford noted that after these episodes continued, “Matthew’s team doctor recommended we go get an MRI of my brain to rule everything major out.”
“A few days later we were hit with the results,” she wrote. “I had a tumor sitting on some of my cranial nerves.
“The medical term they used was an acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma,” she explained. “All I heard was brain tumor & that they had to do surgery to take it out.. so that is what we are going to do & we believe we found the best doctor to do it.”
Then, Stafford got vulnerable with her followers, describing her fears and worries:
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely terrified of brain surgery. I am. I am terrified of them opening my head, I’m terrified of losing my hearing, I’m terrified of losing facial function, I’m terrified of far worse things that could happen and I’m terrified that I won’t take the time I need to recover because the guilt I might feel of being absent from my kids for too long..”
“I am telling y’all this to ask for prayers and support,” she wrote.
Stafford provided a list of specific things people can pray
-calmness in these next 2 weeks as I know anxiety will run high in myself & my whole family leading up to the day of surgery.
-that God
be in the room with the surgeons & give them all the guidance, steadiness, & confidence they need.-my safety during and after surgery.
-please pray for
matthew as I know his nerves will be high during this surgery. I couldn’t imagine being out in that waiting room.
She concluded her post by thanking her followers.
“Thank u. Thank u for reading this novel. thank u for all your support and most importantly, thank u for your prayers,” she wrote.
Many commented on Stafford’s post voicing their support and assuring her of their prayers.
“You’ve got a whole community of people and friends and family and fans behind you with prayer and belief. We love y’all,” wrote former Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky.
“Prayers up!!” wrote Lions running back Kerryon Johnson.
“We have been blessed to know Kelly and Matthew Stafford since their arrival in Detroit,” wrote Detroit journalist Mitch Albom. “While we were stunned to hear this news, we also know there is no couple stronger, more determined or more united in love, and this is great preparation for the challenge that lies ahead. Kelly, you know you have the support and prayers of every one of us … .”
“Praying for you today and every day through your surgery,” wrote ESPN’s Sam Ponder. “Thanks for sharing with everyone… your openness and honesty helps so many people. You are so strong mama.”
Kelly Stafford has been married her husband Matthew Stafford since 2015. The two met in college at the University of Georgia, where Matthew played football and Kelly cheered. They have three young daughters.
Please keep Kelly and the entire Stafford family in your prayers during the coming weeks.