J.R. Smith Premature Baby News, Update: Smith Shares Photo of Himself Holding His Baby for the First Time
Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith and his family have been going through some tough times lately. Smith needed surgery to fix his fractured right thumb last December, but that setback pales in comparison to what he and his wife, Jewel Harris, had to go through last month.
In October last year, Smith and Harris announced that they were expecting another baby. But in early January, Harris gave birth to a daughter five months premature and the couple was clearly afraid of possible complications. The baby weighed just one pound when she was born. But it seems that baby Dakota is growing up healthy in a photo shared by Smith on his Instagram account.
"Today is one of the greatest days of my life. Today I get to hold my youngest for the first time! GOD is GREAT! #DakotaStrong," he said.
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Well, that's one happy father. It looks Dakota is still in the neonatal intensive care unit, but she can now be held. When the couple revealed the news last month, they were visibly upset about their daughter's condition.
"She's five days old today, her name is Dakota, and she weighs one pound. We know we're not the only family going through this, who has been through this, and who will ever go through it, and that's why we decided to share what we're going through with you guys. Please keep us in your prayers, and we'll do the same for everyone else," Harris stated.
Since then, Smith has been sharing some updates on his daughter's condition. He also posted a photo on Instagram showing his older daughter, Demi, looking at Dakota inside an incubator.
Right now, Smith is still sidelined after the surgery, but he should be back in time for the playoffs. In the meantime, he gets to spend a lot of time with his newborn baby girl.
