A few weeks ago, fans were shocked to learn that Dwyane Wade had secretly battled cancer in 2023. He underwent surgery in December, removing 40% of his kidney. While Wade is now healthy, the mental toll was something few knew about. The news left many wondering what he went through behind the scenes.
Looking back, Gabrielle Union, Wade’s wife, shed light on the emotional turmoil. “When you mention year nine being hard, he hadn’t revealed his cancer diagnosis and his own cancer journey, so now we can put it in more context,” she explained. The uncertainty of it all weighed heavily on Wade, as Union recalled him questioning, “Am I going to be here to see my family? Who am I without this big life and without this healthy body?”
Even more, Wade struggled with being vulnerable in front of his loved ones. “I was most afraid of being that vulnerable in front of my wife,” he admitted on TODAY with Jenna & Friends. But despite his fears, his family—especially his son Zaire—saw something different.
“You know, my son, Zaire, said to me, he was watching me walk to the bathroom and he was like, oh, like, I’m Superman. Like, you know, he’s never saw me that weak before.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 30: Dwayne Wade his son Zaire and daughter Kaavia attend a Los Angeles Sparks WNBA game on Wednesday, June 30, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Still, Wade wasn’t comfortable with the idea of being seen as weak. He doubled down on the feeling, saying, “You know, you don’t want them to see you in that space.” The idea of his family witnessing him in such a state wasn’t easy for him to accept. But for Zaire, it wasn’t weakness—it was strength.
“I’m pops. My son called me himothy. Like I’m him. I’m the champion. I’m the one who built, you know, what we have and got us out of the inner city,” Wade shared. The journey was tough for both father and son, but in the end, Zaire saw a fighter, not someone broken.
Dwyane Wade’s family got his back
Dwyane Wade Was never comfortable showing his vulnerability. But in the moments he feared the most, he found something even greater. “In that process of my weakness, I found strength in my family, in my friends, in my group,” he shared on social media.
When revealing his cancer battle, Wade kept his spirits high. He even took to Instagram to remind everyone, “My smile has never faded!” But behind that smile was the unwavering support of his family. While he struggled with the idea of appearing weak, his wife made it clear—weakness was never part of his story.
“Scary scary time for D and our family. I’m glad he was able to tell his story in HIS time in his own way. And NEVER weak. Ever,” Gabrielle Union wrote on Instagram.
For her, Wade was nothing short of a fighter. And son, Zaire, shared the same sentiment, simply dropping a heartfelt “love you” in the comments—a quiet but powerful show of admiration.
So, while Wade may have seen his struggle as weakness, his family saw resilience. And that’s why he came out of the battle, still smiling. As Gab put it, “It was a challenge. It was a challenge to give grace and receive it.” So with love and support, Wdae and his family made it through.
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