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JaNean Mercer Releases New Statement As Lamar Odom Prepares To Return To Los Angeles For Rehab [Report]

By Lindsay Cronin
Published on: 08:09 PST, Oct 19, 2015

JaNean Mercer has released a new statement regarding the health and progress of her nephew, Lamar Odom.

“Lamar has always been blessed with a tenacious, fighting spirit, overcoming insurmountable obstacles to achieve the impossible,” JaNean Mercer told Us Weekly in an October 19 statement, via her rep. “These past few days have been no different. He is defying the odds in his toughest battle to date with GOD’s grace.”

JaNean Mercer arrived in Las Vegas last Wednesday along with Odom’s ex-girlfriend, Liza Morales, and their two children, 17-year-old Destiny and 13-year-old Lamar Odom Jr. Since then, the children and Morales have been staying close to the hospital, along with JaNean Mercer, and to Odom as he recovers from a drug overdose, which occurred on Tuesday.

On October 13, two women at Dennis Hof’s Love Ranch South discovered Odom unconscious in his VIP suite with mucus streaming from his nose and mouth. Right away, as TMZ reported, police were called, and an ambulance arrived to transport JaNean Mercer’s nephew to a nearby hospital, where he was stabilized and placed on a ventilator to assist with his breathing. At the time, things weren’t looking good for Odom, and many questioned whether he’d be able to pull through. Luckily, less than a week later, he emerged from his coma and has been communicating with friends and family ever since.

Also in JaNean Mercer’s statement, she said her nephew was “getting stronger” and reaching “significant milestones” as he continued to recover at the Sunrise Hospital. She also requested prayers.

“We are committed to remaining by his side as a family for our champion, who we love immensely,” JaNean Mercer explained. “Your continued prayers and well wishes have been the fuel to keep us going, and for that we are eternally grateful.”

In a second report, it was noted that Odom could travel to Los Angeles for rehab in the next few days. Although JaNean didn’t mention the possibility in her statement, a source has spoken out, revealing Odom’s estranged wife, Khloe Kardashian, who is in charge of making his medical decisions because the two are technically still married, was arranging the move.

“Khloe [Kardashian] and Kris [Jenner] decided to move Lamar to a rehab center in L.A. so they can all be closer to him,” a source told Us Weekly on October 19, revealing the former professional athlete will likely be transported this week.

“He’s still getting better little by little. The doctors are starting to talk about plans for what happens when he gets out and that’s how rehab came up, but he still has a ways to go. It’s all baby steps, very slow. Everything is going very slow. He’s talking more. He’s very slowly improving. It’s going to be a struggle.”

If Odom does travel to Los Angeles this week, it is unclear whether or not JaNean Mercer and his children will follow. Currently, JaNean Mercer, Liza Morales, and Odom’s two children reside in New York City, so having to afford food and a place to stay in Los Angeles for an extended period of time may not be in their budget. That said, either Odom or his estranged wife may be willing to help with costs or cover them completely.

“Khloe is committed to staying with him,” the magazine’s source explained. “Everyone is so happy he’s alive but taking it very carefully (as you know anything can turn towards the worst again). It’s a slow process but Khloe is there every step of the way, and her family is supporting her and Lamar’s family is there too. It’s all been so draining and emotional.”

JaNean Mercer and the family have also been visited by Odom’s dad, Joe.

[Photo via Twitter]

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