Kelly Stafford, the wife of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, is learning a “new life” after undergoing surgery last week to remove a brain tumor. She posted an update Sunday on Instagram, thanking everyone who’s been praying for her since she announced her diagnosis April 3.
“This Easter is the beginning of a new life for me,” she wrote. “I wanna take a second to thank all of you for all the prayers. They have worked. I know they have. When they opened me up, I had an abnormal vein… maybe abnormal for other neurosurgeons, but not the one We chose. He had seen it before and written a paper on it. That’s truly God’s work.”
Kelly posted the update accompanied by a picture of her with Matthew, her mother, and her brother, Chad Hall, the Buffalo Bills wide receivers coach.
“The prayers for my family, I’m beyond thankful for,” she continued. “A six hour surgery went to 12 hours and although they were anxious and scared, your prayers got them through. Thank you. Thank you so much. Now I am home and learning my new norm. It’ll take some time, but I really just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for all your support, thoughts and prayers. It means more than y’all will ever know.”
Kelly wrote on April 3 that the surgery would remove a tumor on her cranial nerves. She had experienced several spells of vertigo since January, and after her vitals and bloodwork checked out fine, she underwent an MRI, which revealed the tumor. Kelly wrote then that they believed they had found the best doctor to perform the operation, but “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely terrified of brain surgery.”
Matthew has yet to join the Lions during their offseason workout program, as he has tended to his wife and family. The Staffords, who began dating at the University of Georgia, have three daughters. Matthew was the first pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by the Lions.
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