Kelly Stafford to have brain surgery Wednesday, brother says

(FOX 2) - Kelly Stafford, the wife of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, is scheduled to go in for brain surgery Wednesday, according to a post on Instagram  by her brother.

Kelly announced on social media two weeks ago that she will be having surgery to remove a tumor from her brain.

On Wednesday, two weeks to the day since Kelly announced her diagnosis, her brother said she was going in for surgery. Chad Hall, her brother and an assistant with the Buffalo Bills, posted a picture of Kelly in a hospital bed and asked for prayers.

"Please pray for my baby sister’s surgery today," he wrote. "Philippians 4:6-7 “6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Thank you!"

Stafford, the wife of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, wrote in a lengthy Instagram post that an MRI found a tumor on her cranial nerves. She says the medical term doctors uses was acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma.

"Within the last year, I began to notice things that I thought was just me getting older," she wrote. "I would show my girls how to do a front roll or twirl in ballet class and immediately feel dizzy & off balance... Things that I had been doing my entire life were now, all of a sudden, difficult."

Stafford says it was the beginning of January when she experienced her first vertigo spell. Then it happened when she was holding Hunter, the youngest of her three daughters. She says Matthew immediately took her to the Emergency Room, but vitals and bloodwork can back clear.

Several vertigo spells later, Stafford says her husband's team doctor recommended they get an MRI. The results came back and she announced Wednesday that she'll be having surgery, and believes they found the best doctor to do it.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't completely terrified of brain surgery. 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 guilty I might feel of being absent from my kids is for too long," she wrote.

Stafford says she shared the news to ask for prayers and support (see the entire statement below).

"Please pray for Matthew as I know his nerves will be high during this surgery," she said.

The Detroit Lions organization released the following statement:

"The Detroit Lions fully support Kelly, Matthew and the entire Stafford family during this difficult time. Over the years, their selfless commitment to helping others and improving the communities in which we live and work has made a lasting impact on the lives of so many. We thank everyone for the outpouring of support.

"On behalf of the Stafford family, we ask that everyone respect the privacy of the situation at this time."