Pat Summitt Supported by Athletes, Coaches throughout Sports amid Report of Declining Health

It was sometime in June 2016 when the family, friends, and colleagues of well-known women's college basketball coach Pat Summitt took to social media their plea to help them pray for the Tennessee Lady Vol trainer.

Pray For Pat

Summitt's family did acknowledge that the legendary coach's health had been deteriorating over the last few weeks and needed to seek for everyone’s prayers for her progressive disease. They said that having many prayer warriors could help the family a lot, especially Summitt, in this very difficult time.

In one statement issued by the family spokesperson Erin Freeman, the family informed the public that the ‘Hall of Fame’ coach had Alzheimer's disease, a type of early-onset dementia. And this had advanced over the weeks – worsening her condition.

Her family also admitted that since she was really struggling, everyone was actually set to “prepare for the worst” as mentioned in their official statement. It was really heart-breaking for everyone to accept the fact that her life was about to end.

With the hashtag “PrayForPat”, everyone in the sports industry – athletes and fans alike – showed their valuable support to Pat as well as to her entire family. Learning that the hall-of-fame coach’s health condition had been declining was actually never easy especially for the whole women’s basketball community.

Sports stars rally for Summitt amid health report

Summitt is, no doubt, one of the most successful basketball coaches in the healthy sports industry. And upon knowing the news that she was ill and terribly needed prayers, many people from different walks of life stopped by her statue at the University of Tennessee to show their utmost support to the former coach – leaving flowers and well-wishes.

Various sports figures including WNBA star DeLisha Milton-Jones, Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs, “Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts, former Volunteers football coach David Cutcliffe, and many other renowned personalities showed outpouring support and compassion to the legendary coach.

How Summitt fought her battle and turned the tide would leave you in awe

In 2011, she knew she had early-onset dementia. Though it was never easy to learn that she had this illness, she took it upon herself that she needed to do something worthwhile instead of feeling anxious about it. This is when she put up “Pat Summitt Foundation”. Aiming to raise awareness and educate people about Alzheimer’s disease, the institution also provides extensive services to patients and caregivers alike.

Meanwhile, the Pat Summitt Alzheimer's Clinic at the University of Tennessee medical center now houses a pool of multidisciplinary experts ranging from neurologists, licensed clinical social worker, physical and occupational therapists, registered nurses, speech-language pathologists, and cognitive evaluation specialists. All the core members of the medical team provide specialized care for each patient’s needs.

This only proves that Pat Summitt is indeed more than a sports icon but someone who has innate generosity and kindness to be a blessing to other people.

Her death came too soon

Unfortunately, she passed away at the age of 64 on June 28, 2016, at a senior living facility in Knoxville. Her last few days on earth weren’t that easy as she was struggling with her progressive disease. But her family knew that she was happy knowing that many people, especially those who mean a lot to her, were with her during her greatest battle.

What her death might teach us about early onset dementia?

Though the world continues to educate people about the disease, Summitt’s death has also shed light not just to the sports world but also to the various communities.

Raising awareness, many non-profit organizations continue to inform the public that rapid health deterioration seems to be really inevitable to every Alzheimer’s patient and that a healthier lifestyle, not to mention the patient’s positive outlook in life, all help diminish its effects after diagnosis.

Routines like having regular exercise, a balanced diet, and intensive social stimulation have been highly observed in helping protect the brain against cognitive decline and abrupt memory loss.

Pat Summitt's career statistics – how far she has been as a sports enthusiast and versatile coach

Former head coach emeritus of the Tennessee women’s basketball team, Summitt was able to coach Tennessee to eight national championship titles in her entire 38 seasons. Her undisputed reputation becomes a legacy to healthy sports, thanks to her 1,098 victories. She decided to step down in 2012, following her diagnosis of early-onset dementia in 2011.

As of this writing, Summitt is the only coach in women’s basketball history to win 1,000 games. Needless to say, she is really no ordinary woman.

LOOK: Biography of Traci Braxton

Does the girl group name ‘The Braxtons’ ring a bell? With her four sisters Toni, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar, Traci launched their first single, Good Life in 1990. Unfortunately, it didn’t blend well with the taste of the public. Despite the group’s unsuccessful attempt to make it to the music industry, this ironically paved way for their oldest sibling Toni Braxton’s solo career and has become one of the famous American R&B singers of her generation.

With that incident and unexpected lineup change, Traci Renee Braxton, popularly known as Traci Braxton, along with the other girls, also tried to make a name in the industry. But things, at that time, seemed to be really difficult for them – not until the much-awaited big shift in her career.

As for Traci, her life, marriage, career, and random acts of kindness can do great things to people who need a dose of motivation. So let’s try to ravel her story and be inspired.

Her Modest Net Worth

Traci’s rollercoaster ride to fame and career setbacks were all taken as a challenge rather than a failure. This has given her a chance to discern on the things she wanted to accomplish in her life. A late bloomer as she is, it was never too late for her to achieve her dreams. She is a living proof that life really begins at 40. She might not have millions yet, but she’s practically contented with her $300 thousand net worth which is believed to drastically prosper in the future, thanks to her TV appearances and radio gigs.

Traci Braxton Biography: Her Life, Marriage, and Career Untold

This Native American singer, actress, and radio-television personality has just turned 46 last April 2. Born in 1971 in Severn, Maryland, U.S., Traci and her other five siblings perhaps have gotten their love for music from their mother, Evelyn Jackson who was a professional opera singer. Their father Michael Conrad Braxton, a worker at a power company, has nourished them in a conservative and religious environment.

Since she thought of not having the luck in her singing career, she decided to shift to radio and television. Later in 2004, she finally had the opportunity to appear in the reality show, “Starting Over” in which she gained some fame. This has finally opened big doors for her in the entertainment industry, thanks to her golden voice, talent, and sense of wit and humor.

Another reality show titled, “Braxton Family Values” took her to the limelight as it gained popularity in 2011. This box office hit was a huge comeback of their family. To name a few successes that take her to stardom, Traci’s appearance in another TV show named ‘Marriage Boot Camp’, a solo musical album named ‘Crash and Burn’ in 2014 as well as her single tracks were certified hits. Likewise, her self-title radio program “The Traci Braxton Show” was aired on BLIS.F.M and had made a good impact among the listeners.

However, you really can’t have the best of both worlds as her marriage with Kevin Surratt for 20 years was put on the rocks when a rumor sprouted that her husband had an extramarital affair and even had a ‘love child’. But Traci kept her silence about this, she didn’t confirm nor deny. The two were blessed with a son they named, Kevin Jr. Currently, the Surratts are reported to reside in Maryland together as a family.

More than her career highlights, Traci’s big heart for the needy is what really makes her admirable. She continues to be a philanthropist to many non-profit organizations that probably captured the hearts of the public.