Ex-USWNT star Lauren Holiday gives birth, prepares for brain tumor surgery

Former U.S. national team and FC Kansas City star Lauren Holiday gave birth to a healthy baby girl this week and is preparing for surgery to remove a brain tumor, according to teammates of NBA player Jrue Holiday, her husband.

“She had a baby girl, so she's doing fine,” New Orleans Pelican forward Anthony Davis told reporters on Friday, according to ESPN. “Now it's time to get Lauren back on track.”

Holiday was diagnosed with a benign, operable brain tumor midway through her pregnancy in June, but doctors would have to wait until she gave birth to operate.

They planned to induce the birth early to address the tumor sooner, with a target for the end of September, which they have apparently successfully done. Doctors reportedly planned to remove the tumor about six weeks after the birth, which means she is still a few weeks from the procedure.

Pelicans teammate Quincy Pondexter said Holiday’s husband, who will take time off from his basketball career to care for Holiday and their baby, was in good spirits after the birth.

“To see him in the spirits that he was in, it really made me that much more of a fan of his, because he's handling it really well,” Pondexter said. “Him and his wife are handling it extremely well. They're amazing people.”

Pelicans general manager Dell Demps added: “When the time is right, he'll return. But as of now, our hearts and prayers are with them. And we're hoping that Lauren has a successful surgery.”

Holiday, 28, retired from the USWNT after winning the Women’s World Cup last year, a decision she said she made to start a family. She had also won back-to-back NWSL championships with FC Kansas City in 2014 and 2015.

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