Allen Iverson Opens Up About Daughter's Mystery Illness

Christopher Sadowski/Splash News Online

Last weekend Allen Iverson was scheduled to start in his 11th NBA All Star game, but the Philadelphia 76er was notably absent from the festivities. Instead, Allen was at home in Atlanta, tending to his seriously ill daughter Messiah, 4.

“I have five kids,” Allen, 34, pointed out after practice in Philadelphia on Monday. “None of them have ever been this sick. It’s a first-time thing for me.”

Adding to his anxiety is the fact that doctors aren’t totally sure about what ails Messiah. She has been in and out of a hospital in Atlanta and will now travel to Philadelphia to undergo treatment at Children’s Hospital.

“If they find out its pneumonia, which they hope it’s not, they’re going to have to admit her again,” Allen reveals. “All I do is just pray on it … ’cause that’s all that can be done right now, ’cause they don’t know exactly what’s wrong with her.”

“I like to look at myself as a strong person, especially dealing with everything in my life. But this is a totally different situation; you find out you’re not as tough as you thought you were when it’s one of your kids.”

Doctors have assured Allen that they’ll “get to the bottom of” Messiah’s symptoms, assurances that have given the point guard peace of mind — to a point. “You look at them eye to eye and you can tell they truly believe that,” he says. “You kind of feel comfortable about it.”

Click below for Allen’s thoughts about rejoining his team.

Enough so that Allen has agreed to rejoin his team, after missing five games to be with Messiah. Noting that he has “a commitment and an obligation to be with” the 76ers, Allen says he’s hoping his return to the court will help him stay focused at home.

“I think this is the only thing I do in life where it’s for a couple hours during a game [that] I don’t think about [anything] but that,” he muses. “I think, in some type of way, that will help me deal with my [family] situation a little better.” He adds,

“The strongest man in the world … I don’t think they could deal with it if something happened to one of their kids. I just love my kids.”

In addition to Messiah, Allen and wife Tawanna are parents to Tiaura, 14, Allen II, 11, Isaiah, 6, and Dream, 16 months.

Source: Philly.com

Comments

He’s so right that everything changes when it comes to your children. I hope everything turns out alright with Messiah.

- Kellykc on February 20th, 2010

How frightening for them. I hope the doctors can get to the bottom of Messiah’s illness soon and she’ll be okay!

- alice jane on February 20th, 2010

I hope Messiah will be okay! Also, is Dream a boy, or a girl?

- CelebBabyLover on February 21st, 2010

He named his kid Messiah? Seriously?

So…many…horrible…jokes…

But in all seriousness, I hope they figure out what’s wrong with the poor kid.

- Molly on February 21st, 2010

Sounds really scary and I hope it’s nothing serious. I didn’t know pneumonia was so hard to diagnose? I guess there are different kinds.

- Hea on February 21st, 2010

I know someone who was ill for 3 months and the doctors ran every test you could possibly run and could come up with nothing! Finally she got better and the only thing the doctors can say is that she had some sort of virus that just took it’s time leaving her system. It was kind of scary. To be that ill and not have any answers would drive me crazy. CHOP is a great hospital so hopefully doctors can figure out whats wrong with his daughter.

- JMO on February 21st, 2010

i know how he feels. it’s so frustrating and scary when you don’t know what it is. my aunt went to 7 doctors over the past year telling them she didn’t feel well and was very tired all the time… they said she just needed to take it easy and one wanted to put her on depression meds. then she passed out in the shower, and was taken to the hospital to find that she has an extremely low red blood cell count and needed 3 blood transfusions and nearly died in the hospital. but the doctors still don’t know what is causing it. ugh.

hopefully messiah gets better soon!

- fuzibuni on February 21st, 2010

@ Molly. Yeah this is really the time to be worry about a name!!
Really, get a grip!
I hope Messiah gets well. Poor baby.

- Laydacris on February 21st, 2010

Messiah is in the best childrens hospital in the country. They will find why she is ill. My prayers are with Mr and Mrs Iverson and their family.

- meghan on February 21st, 2010

God bless his family I hope the little one gets better and very soon.

- RIP Michael on February 21st, 2010

How scary! I wonder what her symptoms are. I’ve heard of people with ‘mystery illnesses’ that seem severe but end up being totally treatable. Hopefully she has a case like that and they find out what is wrong and can help her! But it must be so frustrating for the family, knowing that something is wrong, and not being able to do anything to help her!!

- Erika on February 21st, 2010

I hope they are persistent with the doctors. As with fuzibuni’s aunt, my mom ended up having a fairly serious seizure illness about which all the doctors were confused and dismissive. She had to push and push them to keep testing to figure out what was wrong. (Didn’t help that she was on Medicaid.) When doctors don’t know something, I think they too easily turn to prescriptions to avoid seeming as though they aren’t sure or can’t figure out it. Luckily the Iverson family has the wealth to push the issue and go to specialist after specialist. Hopefully they will figure it all out soon.

- Jen DC on February 21st, 2010

Here’s to hoping Messiah gets better as quickly as possible. I hope those doctors find out what is ailing that poor baby and give her, as well as her parents, some rest. They have enough to deal with seeing as she’s one of five children. God bless them (no pun intended).

- Luna on February 21st, 2010

well hopefully everything will workout for them, things do change when the children are involved.

- webmistress27 on February 21st, 2010

Maybe now some of the critics will realize that Iverson’s daughter’s illness is part of the reason why he took personal time away from playing with Memphis earlier in the season. I know some people thought that it was due to the amount of playing time he wasn’t receiving but not all of it has to do with money. I hope that the doctors are able to find what is wrong with Messiah and that she is able to get better quickly.

- SportsFrog13 on February 21st, 2010

really they can’t diagnose pnemonia? I find it odd that she would have to travel so far to be diagnosed with something that doesn’t seem mysterious. You would think a dr could come to her. Bless them!

- April on February 22nd, 2010

A friend of mine’s 2.5 year old daughter just recovered from her own mystery illness. The hospital here believes her illness was a virus, however they do not know what type as they only do testing for 6 viruses. On top of that, she was diagnosed with pneumonia. She ended up being in the hospital for 2 weeks and was in a medically induced coma for 9 days.

- Colleen on February 22nd, 2010

My prayers are with Allen & his Wife. I sincerely hope for a speedy recovery for his child. I now hope the critics leave AI & his family alone. He’s so right to put his daughter 1st, playing last on the list. Also know AI, you will always be Number one in our house.

- Regina Aaron on February 22nd, 2010

Thoughts and prayers with Messiah and the Iversons. CHOP is the best children’s hospital there is, she’ll be better in no time.

(I can’t believe his two oldest children are 14 and 11. I’m from Philly and the last time I saw pictures of them was when AI was a Sixer his first time around and they were only babies!!)

- Carli on February 22nd, 2010

God bless you and ur Baby Girl AI

- tasha mack on February 22nd, 2010

It really can be a pain the butt not knowing what’s wrong. My mom has been suffering with something similar for years and theys doctors have no idea what’s wrong but she is always in pain and some days its so bad she can barely move.

Yet they run test after test and nothing. Its a mystery to them and it can be such a burden on the rest of the family because you feel completely helpless.

Today she went in and they removed some stuff from her body to send them out for tests and we are hoping for the best.

In saying that, I wish nothing but a fast answer to Mr. Iverson’s daughter’s illness and an even speedier recovery!!!

- Brownsugar1313 on February 22nd, 2010

My prayer is for a miracle for this little angel! By God strips this baby is going to be healed. Iverson Family keep praying and having the faith.

- keisha on February 22nd, 2010

get well messiah

- terrence on February 22nd, 2010

Plenty of parents continue going to work when their children are sick. Allen is obviously the bread winner so he needs to go back to the team and earn some money to pay those doctor bills.

- Tina P. on February 22nd, 2010

Allen: my pray’s are with you and your wife,I sincerely hope that your baby girl Messiah, recovers quickly back to her good health. I know how helpless you must feel, just knowing you, youself can’t make her better, as a parent, if you could exchange places with her, I know you would, FROM ONE PARENT TOO ANOTHER IT’S O.K. TO CRY.

- ELAINE on February 23rd, 2010

First and foremost, I pray that God will heal Allen Iverson’s baby and make her better to live a fruitful life. Hang in there Allen and family and keep your hands in Gods unchanging hands. Second all you folks out trying to critize him for naming his daughter Messiah should be ashamed of yourself. This man is hurting from the fact one of his kids is sick and no one knows what the heck is going on. Please be considerate of that and wish the baby well. We are only on this earth for a short time anyway and we need to love one another as God loves us. Come on if you were in the same situation you would not want someone to tell you how your child’s name should be something else. Please show Allen and his family some respect. Thank you!

- Jackie on February 23rd, 2010

Tina P. (#24) – I don’t mean to be rude, but your comment sounds awfully callous. Yes, he is the bread winner of the family. But, they obviously have a TON of money. If he can afford to take the time off to be with his very sick child, then that’s exactly what he should be doing. Family should come first, then work. At least Messiah knows that Daddy cares so much about her that he is willing to take time off work to be with her when she’s at the hospital!

I hope they get the answers they seek regarding Messiah’s illness and that she has a speedy recovery!!

- Sarah M. on February 23rd, 2010

I agree with Molly (re: the name…). Sorry folks, but that’s a horrible name to give you kid. However, also like MOLLY SAID…name aside…this is just awful and incredibly scary. I hope she gets better soon!

- eljika on February 24th, 2010

eljika- The kid is very ill and no one can figure out why….and the first thing you say is that her name is horrible? IMO, this is not the time or place to be making comments like that. We need to show some respect for the family during this difficult time.

- CelebBabyLover on February 25th, 2010

Tina P. – Who are you to say that he should get back to his job? I’m sure they have more than enough money to get by and pay the bills. Did you ever think that some parents continue to work while their children are sick because it is local?? I would do the same thing if I was in his shoes. I wouldn’t want to be a few hours away from my sick child, what if something happened and he can’t get back in time? Plus he’s a professional athlete and it’s obvious that he has more important things on his mind than winning a game.

Why do people have to come on here and be judgemental and make idiotic statments??

- lali1179 on February 25th, 2010

My prayers are with the Allen and his family for a quick recovery for this child. You people that have an issue with a child’s name are so ignorant you need to get a life and spend some time trying to figure out what is wrong with you life.

- CC on February 25th, 2010

I feel bad for Allen Iverson. He looks extremely stressed around the eyes in that picture. You can tell. I wish him and his daughter well.

- LisaS on March 5th, 2010

WHEN MY SON WAS AROUND 4-YRS, DOCTORS COULD NOT PINPOINT WHAT WAS CAUSING HIM TO STOP BREATHING, OR DEVELOPING HIGH FEVERS AND PNEUMONIA. THIS WENT ON FOR A WHILE. THEY FOUND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG — TONSILITIS. ONE DOCTOR NOTICED THAT WHEN IT WAS COLD, RAINING, (BAD WHETHER) — HIS TONSILS WOULD BLOCK HIS WIND PASSAGE. HE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL AGE FIVE TO REMOVE THEM. NOTHING BOTHERED HIM SINCE THEN. MAYBE, THIS COULD BE HIS DAUGHTER’S DIAGNOSIS?

- CLARE HATCHETTE on March 6th, 2010

Hope your daughter gets better soon AI. My best wishes from the warm coasts of Mediterranean.

- Emre Urgenc on March 31st, 2010

i am praying for you!….hope your daughter gets bettter dont worry its all in gods hands

- dancendiva729 on April 16th, 2010

I will pray for her

- Joseph on April 26th, 2010

Chuck and T. Im glad to hear everything is going well. Chuck u know as long as you keep HIM first everything will work out in HIS time. You will get a ring before it is all said and done. Just remember how you feel now and what you promised HIM when HE had your attention! In JESUS name its done! and welcome back to the NBA!

- russ on November 27th, 2011