Kelly Stafford, wife of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, is home recovering after a 12-hour surgery to remove a tumor from her brain. On Easter Sunday, she posted an update to her Instagram account, thanking all of the fans, friends and family who prayed for her following the troubling diagnosis.
“This Easter is the beginning of a new life for me,” she began.
I wanna take a second to thank all of you for all the prayers. They have worked. I know they have.”
Stafford noted that what was supposed to be a 6-hour surgery turned into a 12-hour operation after her surgeon discovered an “abnormal vein.” By the grace of God, however, the doctor was familiar with this very type of vein and was able to avoid what could have posed a real problem for other neurosurgeons.
“When they opened me up, I had an abnormal vein.. maybe abnormal for other neurosurgeons, but not the one We chose. He had seen it before and written a paper on it. That’s truly God’s work,” she wrote.
Stafford added that she was “beyond thankful” for the prayers for her family. During what must have been a grueling 12 hours of uncertainty and waiting, they were given what they needed to be a strong support system for Kelly.
“Now I am home and learning my new norm,” she continued. “It’ll take some time, but I really just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for all your support, thoughts and prayers. It means more than y’all will ever know.”
Stafford learned back in January that she had a tumor sitting on her cranial nerves and would need surgery. Earlier this month, the mother of three shared specific prayer requests with her followers on social media:
-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.
All along, Stafford’s journey has been a testament to the power of prayer and the faithfulness of her family. Because she shared her fears and struggles so openly, thousands of fans are getting a close-up view of how God moves in our daily lives.
Please continue to pray for Kelly Stafford as she begins the long road to recovery.