Derek Fisher talks about daughter's cancer
NBA player Derek Fisher, who we reported was let out of his contract with the Utah Jazz, so that he and his family could find a city that offered medical care for their one-year-old daughter, Tatum, has signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Tatum is currently battling a form of eye cancer called retinoblastoma.
After the signing, Derek was interviewed by Matt Lauer on the Today show. When asked how his daughter was doing, the guard replied,
She’s doing great, she’s such an inspiration to our family and hopefully to many more people just how to hang in there and keep fighting.
Tatum has been undergoing treatment but the family does not anticipate more for her at this time.
Well, hopefully we don’t have many more treatments ahead of us — we’ve done three rounds of treatment which we identify would be the best number at her age to stick with for now. And we’ll find out here in the next couple of days how those rounds of treatment have gone and then hopefully we can transition to Los Angeles with just observation and evaluation until the age of 44 months for her and her twin brother, Drew.
Since the pair are twins, Drew was tested for the disease when Tatum was diagnosed.
Because they are siblings and twins he is more likely to develop something. But so far he is all in the clear. There are no signs that he could really develop this. The doctors feel good that at this point, not having seen anything, that he is going to be okay but 44 months is really that high risk period for both of them.
When asked by Matt how difficult the decision to leave the Utah Jazz was, Derek quickly replied,
I think the decision was easier because it was about Tatum and it was about our family. And I think the faith that I have in God and the faith that I have in things kinda always working out the way they should, I felt confident that we would be okay as a family. I don’t feel like basketball is the only way to make a living. I feel like I’m capable of doing so many things to help people around the country and the world. I felt confident I could make the decision not knowing what was to come. I had no idea that I would be back in Los Angeles playing for the Lakers.
The Fishers are known for their privacy, however, they felt it was their job to tell their story. Derek explained further by stating that,
My wife [Candace] and I went back and forth over it for awhile, especially when we first got hit with the news. And the night that I made the announcement and kinda shared with the world what was going on, it was just really something that was kinda put in my heart I think by the man upstairs. Because hopefully what it has done has allowed families and other children to have their lives saved, to have their eyes saved and I think that is really what it is about.
Tatum is changing the world for the better and we didn’t really know it. And so our family, we feel responsible.
Source: Today
Thanks to CBB reader Pam.
