NBA player takes leave to care for his pregnant wife with brain tumour

Jrue Holiday is the starting point guard for the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA. While his teamates are getting ready for the new NBA regular season, he is expected to miss the start to serve as caretaker for his wife, Lauren Holiday.

Lauren Holiday, member of the U.S. women's national soccer team, which won 2 gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and in 2012 at the London Games, retired last year in the prime of her career, to start a family with her husband Jrue.

“MY FAMILY COMES BEFORE BASKETBALL”

At the beginning of the year Lauren got pregnant, and everything was right, until two months ago, when she started experiencing painful headaches. A magnetic resonance imagining scan in New Orleans revealed a benign tumour on the right side of her brain.

The good news was the tumour was operable and not a threat to the Holidays' unborn daughter. After successful surgery, doctors were confident Lauren would return to full health.

Lauren's due date is mid-October. If possible, the couple hopes to induce the birth early, perhaps as soon as late September, or expedite her treatment.

Doctors plan to perform Lauren's brain surgery about six weeks after the birth. Both procedures are expected to be conducted at Duke University Hospital.

"My family comes before basketball”, said Holiday. "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", he added.

STRENGTH IN THEIR FAITH

The Pelicans starting point guard finds strength in his faith, as he posts in his Twitter account:

There is nothing in life my wife can't conquer with Jesus Christ in her corner. Thank you all so much for your support! God bless!

— That Boy Jrue (@Jrue_Holiday11) 5 de septiembre de 2016

His wife Lauren also uses her social media to show her faith, and thanks those who are supporting them:

We are firm believers that people need people. So thank you for your thoughts and prayers as we navigate a difficult time.

— Lauren Holiday (@laurenholiday12) 5 de septiembre de 2016

The Pelicans' leading assist man has publicly asked for “your prayers, really pray for my family, we can take all the prayers that we can get."

PELICANS SUPPORT

Pelicans general manager Dell Demps and head coach Alvin Gentry met with Holiday and his agent, Jason Glushon, in early August in Los Angeles to outline a game plan for their star point guard. "The most important thing for Jrue to do right now is be with his wife and family", Gentry said in a statement.

Gentry added: "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."

"The Pelicans have been great, there wasn't any pressure to be with the team or to choose between my team and my wife. They told me to be a husband first. I don't think they know how much their support means to me and my family", Jrue explained.

A STAR OF THE TEAM

Holiday is the Pelicans' second-most important player behind Anthony Davis. His scoring average of 16.8 points per game last season was second on the team to Davis, and his averages of 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals also ranked among the team leaders.