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Lauren Holiday diagnosed with operable brain tumor during pregnancy

USA v Japan: Final - FIFA Women's World Cup 2015

VANCOUVER, BC - JULY 05: Lauren Holiday #12 of the United States celebrates as she scores her first goal in the first half against Japan in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 Final at BC Place Stadium on July 5, 2015 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

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USWNT hero champion Lauren Holiday and her husband Jrue had a nightmare in the middle of their pregnancy

Lauren, 28, was diagnosed with an operable brain tumor after suffering massive headaches midway through her pregnancy. The 133-times capped midfielder retired from soccer in 2015 to start her family.

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She’s going to wait until after giving birth to have surgery, and husband Jrue is taking time off from his day job -- point guard for the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans -- to help his wife and child.

From NOLA.com:

“Lauren has her good days and her bad days; some are better than others,” Jrue said. “She’s obviously a fighter, the toughest woman I know. That’s the reason why I married her.”

Jrue said Lauren has numbness on the right side of her face because the tumor is pressing on a nerve. Their baby, he said, is healthy.

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Meantime, the Pelicans’ leading assist man is asking fans for one this time around.

“We just ask for your prayers, really pray for my family,” Jrue said. “We can take all the prayers that we can get.”


Surely they’ll have them from much of the soccer and basketball world. Lauren Holiday (nee Cheney) is one of the classiest players you’ll meet, and her husband has a similar reputation in basketball.

All our best from PST.

Follow @NicholasMendola