Tonight’s game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trailblazers probably doesn’t excite the average fan that much but it will be a huge night for Jrue Holiday. He returned to practice this week and will play tonight after being by his wife’s side for the past three months after a tumor was discovered in her brain.
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Lauren Holiday gave birth to the couple’s daughter in September but the joy was overshadowed a short time later after doctors discovered the benign tumor in the right side of her brain. The tumor was removed in late October and after taking more time to focus on family, Holiday now has his wife’s blessing to return to the court as she is doing better.
Asked why he was returning now, Holiday said, “Because my wife said I could.”
“It was really just to see where my wife was in her recovery. And since she’s doing so well, and since my daughter’s getting bigger, and since my family and her family are there to help her out with anything … I just feel comfortable being back and being able to leave them, if it’s on a road trip or whatever it is.
“As hard as it is, again, I’m really excited.”
Lauren Holiday, formerly Lauren Cheney, was a great athlete in her own right as she was a former member of the United States women’s national soccer team.
The Holidays found out about Lauren’s condition this summer. They relocated to the Raleigh, North Carolina, area, near the Duke University medical specialists who handled the surgery.
“My wife was, I think, four or five months pregnant, and all of a sudden she found out she had a tumor,” Holiday said. “Because she has another person in her, obviously there are things she couldn’t do for them to know what type of tumor it was or how serious it was.”
Jrue said he saw the true colors of alot of people and said he feels blessed to have the Pelicans organization behind him. “My teammates and the Pelicans were always there. To come back and fight for them like they supported me, I’m happy to do it.”
“She has great fans who support her through soccer internationally or through her faith,” he said. “I mean, just on Twitter, every day people are always saying they’re praying for her. … So many people since I’ve been back, they don’t even ask how I’m doing, they ask how my wife’s doing. And to me, that’s awesome. That just shows how great people are around us.”
Jrue Holiday respectfully declined to give specifics on his wife’s condition, or where she and their daughter, Jrue Tyler Holiday, will stay during the season. Holiday, 26, said FaceTime will allow him to see his family’s progress during Pelicans road trips.
