Ex-NFL star Tevin Coleman's daughter 'couldn't breathe on her own,' put on ventilator amid sickle cell fight

Coleman's daughter, Nazaneen, has had sickle cell disease since she was an infant

Former NFL running back Tevin Coleman and wife Akilah Coleman shared a heartbreaking health update about their daughter Nazaneen. 

The 6-year-old lives with sickle cell disease and was recently placed on a ventilator, the Colemans revealed Tuesday in a video posted to social media.

The video showed Nazaneen in a hospital and spending time with her father.

"A short story about the most resilient girl I know," Akilah captioned the Instagram video. She later shared that Nazaneen recently had a stint with a ventilator.

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Tevin Coleman looks on before an NFL game

Tevin Coleman of the San Francisco 49ers stands on the sideline before facing the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium Feb. 2, 2020, in Miami, Fla. (Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)

She also explained that her young daughter "couldn’t breathe on her own & needed the machine to expand her lungs & breathe for her. She also received her first blood transfusion."

Akilah praised the former Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers running back for his ability to remain calm in the face of the devastating news. When she learned of her daughter's latest health complication, Akilah said she started to hyperventilate.

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"I was swinging in & out of consciousness, it’s a feeling unexplainable watching your child literally fight to breathe," the caption continued. "Tevin managed to calm my spirit while managing his own. I’m so sorry for that because it doesn’t leave space for him to go through the motions."

Tevin Coleman carries the football

Tevin Coleman of the Atlanta Falcons carries the ball for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Dec. 16, 2018, in Atlanta. (Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

Coleman previously opened up about his daughter's health and revealed that he experienced symptoms of sickle cell disease during his time with the Indiana Hoosiers football team.

"I just wanted to protect my daughter when I first learned she first had it," Coleman told People magazine in 2023. "I wanted to protect her — from the public, from everybody. So, that's why I didn't say anything at first."

The Falcons selected Coleman in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He rushed for 2,340 yards over his four seasons in Atlanta and played in the 2017 Super Bowl. He joined the 49ers in 2019 and appeared in the 2020 Super Bowl. He then signed with the Jets in 2021, before returning to San Francisco in 2022.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

Authored by Chantz Martin via FoxNews April 10th 2024