Brandon Mebane, a 33-year-old defensive tackle for theLos Angeles Chargers, is mourning the death of his seven-week-old daughter, Makenna.
Makenna died on January 3 at a NICU in Omaha, Nebraska, according to multiple outlets.
Mebane had missed four games throughout November and December to be with his wife and two children when Makenna was born with a rare chromosome disorder. The condition,Trisomy 13, causes intellectual disabilities and physical abnormalities such as heart defects and poorly developed eyes, theNational Institutes of Healthreports, and most infants with the disease live only a few days or weeks after birth.
“[There are] not a whole lot of surgeons in the United States to do surgery on babies, so we had to go to a specialist,” he continued. “There are only like four doctors in the U.S. that do this [certain procedure]. One of the doctors is in Omaha, so we had to go out there.”
According to theLos Angeles Times, Makenna developed an infection in her stomach two weeks after she was born, and had to undergo an operation in the middle of December to remove the infected tissue in her intestines. Unfortunately, her condition worsened soon after the surgery.
Brandon Mebane.Frederick Breedon/Getty
“She just kept bleeding from her stomach, and when they tried to feed her, it wasn’t good for her liver,” Mebane told theoutlet. “She wasn’t doing much better, and they had to make a decision.”
Throughout the ordeal, Mebane rejoined the team during their last two regular season games and helped them complete their push to the playoffs.
“I think the main thing for me is just playing for my family… playing for her [my wife] and my kids and my family has been a motivation,” Mebane posted onTwitterin November, shortly after Makenna was born. “A boost to help me just go [out and just play.]”
A month later, Mebane told Chargers reporters that the experience had brought him closer to his faith.
“[This is] something that made me more aware of talking to God more, praying way more, [and] praying not just at night with my kids, but before we drop them off at school,” he toldChargers.com. “Hopefully this’ll [raise] awareness.”
The Chargers are currently set to faceTom Bradyand the New England Patriots on Sunday, to decide who will move on to the AFC Championship, then to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta.
Mebane said he plans to play with the team once again when they meet the Pats in Foxborough — and he’ll be keeping his daughter close to his heart when he’s on the field.
“You know, it’s been a tough year, period, but she would want me to be here doing my job,” Mebane told theTimes. “No matter where I am, I still think about her. I’m just happy I’m still able to play this game.”
source: people.com
