Shaquille O'Neal's 18-year-old son shares message about upcoming heart surgery

Shaquille O’Neal’s son looks forward to being fully functional after posting an optimistic message in anticipation of his upcoming surgery.

Shareef O’Neal is nearing the date of his heart surgery and he can’t wait to be back on the court after recovery. The UCLA freshman shared his sentiments on Twitter last week, ahead of his critical surgery scheduled this month.

REVEALING HIS HEART CONDITION

The 6-foot-10 forward who takes after his father, Shaquille O’Neal first revealed that he had a heart condition in September. He said he initially noticed a funny feeling while training in the summer. Doctors asked him to wear a heart monitor so they could diagnose his condition. The apparatus was attached to a button that the athlete was made to press whenever the feeling came. The results revealed he needed a heart surgery.

Shareef described his condition then as “a bump on the road” but did not go into details about his condition. However, he did say he would be taking a break from basketball for a while until he recovers from his surgery.

OPTIMISTIC

In 14 days, Shareef will be going under the knife, as he revealed in a tweet recently. He also appeared all psyched up.

“It’s crazy to think this whole time I was playing I wasn’t 100%... in about 14 days now I’ll have that extra gear that I’ve never played with before ... can’t wait until I’m back fully.”

NEW DETAILS ABOUT HIS CONDITION

Recent reports suggest the 18-year-old has an electrical heart issue characterized by abnormalities in heart rhythms. According to the Heart Rhythm Society, the condition causes “problems with the electrical system that regulates the steady heartbeat” of a person. With the procedure Shareef will be undergoing, it’s expected to be fully corrected.

Shareef is also expected to sit out the rest of this year’s basketball season and can look forward to returning in tip top shape in 2019.