Love Lessons

When NBA all-star Grant Hill married Tamia, a Grammy-nominated R&B singer, in 1999, the couple looked forward to years of health and happiness. Little did they know, their promise to stand together in sickness and in health would be put to the test shortly after saying "I do."

After years of jumping, pivoting and posting on courts across the country, Grant suffered an ankle injury that almost cost him his career…and his life. He had three ankle surgeries in just three years. Then in 2003, Grant went in for his fourth ankle operation.

"[Grant] came home, and he had a fever for a couple of days," Tamia says. "I ended up calling the doctor, and they said, 'Bring him in.' By the time he got there, he was shivering and shaking. I didn't quite realize how serious it was until I got there myself…it was scary."

Doctors discovered that Grant had developed a staph infection, which nearly killed him. "It was a very scary time, and I think that made me really put things into perspective," Tamia says. "It was no longer about whether he could be the greatest basketball player. I wanted him to be around to be a husband and a father to my children."

Grant says he doesn't know if he could've overcome his injuries without his family. "I was as close as I've ever been to checking out," he says. "My wife really got me through it."

Just when the Hills thought the tough times were behind them, Tamia received a frightening diagnosis of her own.