Lauren Holiday, wife of NBA star Jrue Holiday, had a very promising soccer career that was cut short due to a health scare. Athletes are often on their toes when it comes to maintaining good health and fitness. However, there are certain unavoidable or unpredictable hindrances that surface. Before we get into the specifics of her career-altering diagnosis, let’s take a brief look at her stint as a professional soccer player.
Before Lauren Holiday made a professional debut, she played for the UCLA Bruins, scoring 71 goals between 2006-2009. After going pro, she signed with various US-based teams such as the Pali Blues (2009), Boston Breakers (2010-2011), and FC Kansas City (2013-2015). She competed internationally since 2004 while representing the United States soccer team. Lauren helped the US bag two gold medals, one at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and the other at the London Olympics in 2012.
Holiday experienced great success during the 2011 and 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. In 2007, she was given the title of U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year. And seven years later, she won the same title as a professional. In 2013, Lauren married Jrue Holiday, who was a budding NBA star. Jrue was also a UCLA Bruin and they started dating in 2008.
Lauren Holiday was diagnosed with a Meningioma in 2016
Lauren Holiday hoped that she would continue playing after her short stint with FC Kansas City in 2015. However, she announced that she was pregnant which put a brief halt to her career. But in a sudden turn of events, in June 2016, she was diagnosed with a benign tumor on the right side of her brain called a meningioma. In most cases, these tumors are benign but they can cause serious disabilities if they are left untreated. Mainly because they tend to grow over time.
At this time, she was already six months into her pregnancy. But after getting diagnosed with it, she waited for two months to give birth to Jrue Tyler Holiday, their daughter. In October 2016, Lauren went ahead with surgery. Though the surgery was successful, Lauren had to go through radiation therapy to remove the untouched remains of the tumor. Parts of tumors cannot be removed as they probably rest on sensitive areas of the brain.
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Lauren Holiday went completely offline for a while before reappearing on social media to share her struggle. She shared a heartfelt message to all mothers on Mother’s Day. Her Instagram post described her painful journey to recovery. However, four years after the surgery, Lauren and Jrue welcomed their second child, Hendrix.