'Emotionally exhausted' basketball player deals with daughters' diagnosis

'Emotionally exhausted' basketball player deals with daughters' diagnosis
Former Los Angeles Laker and current Utah Jazz guard Derek Fisher found himself living every parent's worst nightmare Monday, when -- days after learning his 10-month-old daughter Tatum had a form of eye cancer known as retinoblastoma -- he had just 12 hours to decide whether or not to have her eye completely removed, or to treat the disease with a combination of chemotherapy and surgery.  With so much on the line -- if either course proved unsuccessful, the cancer could spread to the optic nerve, then on to the brain, and then quickly throughout Tatum's body -- Derek and his wife Candace decided on the less invasive option in the hopes of sparing their baby girls eye.

Tatum -- who has a twin brother, Drew -- began treatment Wednesday at a New York-area hospital, with both parents by her side; Derek then boarded a flight bound for Utah, where he made a dramatic third quarter entrance to his team's playoff game against the Golden State Warriors.  The days events -- culminating in an overtime win by the Jazz -- left Derek feeling drained, to say the least.

Physically, I'm OK.  But mentally and emotionally I'm just exhausted.

There is a genetic link to retinoblastoma, but thankfully Derek, Candace and Drew have all tested negative for the disease, which is difficult to detect;  Patients suffering from this exceedingly rare form of cancer usually present with an eye that reflects light oddly, and a retina that appears to glow.   

Only 350 cases are diagnosed each year.

Source:  LA Times

Published 5/11/07 by


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