Kelly and Matt Stafford after the birth of their youngest daughter in August. (Photo: Instagram)
Kelly Stafford, 29-year-old wife of Lions quarterback Matt Stafford, has announced she will soon undergo surgery to have a noncancerous brain tumor removed.
In an emotional Instagram post, Stafford says she's been diagnosed with an "acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma" that is "sitting on some of my cranial nerves." She indicates the surgery is about two weeks away.
"I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely terrified of brain surgery," Kelly writes. "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."
According to John Hopkins medicine, an acoustic neuroma, also called a vestibular schwannoma, is a rare noncancerous tumor that presses on the hearing and balance nerves in the inner ear.
Kelly, who turns 30 next month, and Matt Stafford have three young girls. Twins Chandler and Sawyer are two and baby Hunter is seven months old.