Kelly Stafford, Wife of Detroit Lions QB, Has Brain Tumor

DETROIT (97.1 The Ticket) -- In an Instagram post Wednesday morning, Kelly Stafford, wife of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, announced she has a brain tumor and will undergo surgery to remove it.

Her formal diagnosis is acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma, a very rare type of benign tumor that develops on the nerves leading from the inner ear to the brain, per the MayoClinic. It can cause hearing loss, loss of balance, dizziness and facial numbness.

If treated properly -- in this case, surgically removed -- it is generally not considered life-threatening.

Kelly said she first experienced symptoms over the last year when "I would show my girls how to do a front roll or twirl in ballet class and immediately feel dizzy (and) off balance." She and Matthew have three young girls.

Her first spell of vertigo came in January. When the vertigo persisted, the Lions team doctor recommended Kelly get an MRI of her brain, which delivered the daunting news. She shared the MRI in her Instagram post.

"All I heard was brain tumor (and) that they had to do surgery to take it out, so that is what we are going to do (and) we believe we found the best doctor to do it," Kelly wrote on Instagram. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't completely terrified of brain surgery. I am. I am terrified of them opening my head, I'm terrified of losing my hearing, I'm terrified of losing facial function, I'm terrified of far worse things that could happen and I'm terrified that I won't take the time I need to recover because the guilt I might feel of being absent from my kids for too long.

"I am telling y'all this to ask for prayers and support. Things to pray for: calmness in these next 2 weeks as I know anxiety will run high in myself and my whole family leading up to the day of surgery, that God be in the room with the surgeons (and) give them all the guidance, steadiness, (and) confidence they need, my safety during and after surgery, and please pray for Matthew as I know his nerves will be high during this surgery. I couldn't imagine being out in that waiting room. Thank u."