A FORMER NFL player has posted a heartbreaking update after his six-year-old suffered "stroke-like symptoms."
Ex- quarterback Alex Smith, 38, shared on Instagram that his daughter Sloane had a malignant brain tumor removed from her head after being rushed to the hospital.
Alex wrote that Sloane was suffering from a very rare brain tumor, and had to undergo a 10-hour emergency surgery to have it removed.
"She had an MRI and the doctors quickly informed us that she had a large brain tumor and needed an emergency craniotomy," he wrote on Instagram.
"The incredible neurosurgeons @stanforchildrens did a miraculous job and were able to remove 100% of the tumor."
Alex wrote that Sloane recovered remarkably, but since her brain tumor was something rare that doctors have seen few cases of, it is unclear what treatment lies ahead.
"We are currently awaiting more tests and gathering as many opinions as we can from doctors across the country to decide the best path forward," Alex wrote.
According to Alex, Sloane is already "back to her bubbly self" following the long operation.
Alex doesn't typically post about his children on his social media accounts, but this time, he felt sharing the post about Sloane was important.
He said he wanted to be able to inform his friends and family of the situation, and thank the many nurses and doctors who have helped Sloane thus far.
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Sloane is Alex's youngest child and only daughter but he shares two sons, Hudson, 10 and Hayes, 8, with his wife Elizabeth Barry.
"This has been by far the most challenging time we have EVER been through," Smith wrote.
"We know it’s not over and we have a journey ahead of us, but without all of you we could not have gotten this far. We are sorry if we seem withdrawn. It’s because we are…"
"We have been inundated with doctors appointments, scans, labs and trying our best to navigate through this. Most importantly, we’re healing together as a family."
In 2018, Alex withdrew from the NFL after suffering from a life-threatening infection in his leg.
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The leg, which he broke during a game, developed a dangerous infection that required 17 surgeries in less than a year.
During his time in the NFL, Alex played for the San Francisco 49ers, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Washington Football Team, formerly known as the Washington Redskins
In his retirement, Alex works for ESPN as an NFL analyst.
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