Former Los Angeles Laker and NBA Hall of Fame star, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar announced on Tuesday that he does have Leukemia.
Abdul-Jabbar announced that he is suffering from a rare form of leukemia but says that his prognosis is encouraging. Kareem was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in December 2008 he told the AP.
“I was getting hot flashes and sweats on a regular basis,” he explained. “That’s not normal, even for my age….I was scared. I thought it was all the same. I thought it could mean I have a month to live.”
Abdul-Jabbar is currently taking an oral medication for the disease. He has become the official spokesman for the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, which makes a drug that treats the illness.
“Having lost one of my closest friends to a different, highly aggressive form of leukemia, I knew how serious my diagnosis was,” said Abdul-Jabbar. “My own life expectancy became a question mark.”
The NBAs All-Time leading scorer is encouraging Kareem is encouraging fellow patients and families to visit www.CMLAlliance.com for disease education, treatment information, testing and reimbursement support.
Kareem does have 5 children. Our thoughts are with Kareem and his family during this difficult time.
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