Lionel Messi’s career would have ended in smoke even before it started because of the deadly disease he was diagnosed with in his childhood. However, through an intensive career and treatment, the soccer superstar overcame the problem after a prolonged battle.
So, let’s find out more about his illness and the story of his fight against the disease.
When was he diagnosed with GHD?
GHD refers to growth hormone deficiency which is a disease caused by the inadequate amount of growth hormone in the body. Messi was diagnosed with this problem when he was just 11. At that age, he seemed very thin and short compared to his classmates which drew the attention of his parents.
When #Messi was 11, he was diagnosed w/growth hormone deficiency (GHD), a condition caused by insufficient amounts of growth hormone in the body, leading to an impaired growth & development. His family cud not afford the treatment for long.
— Naresh Nambisan | നരേഷ് 🧘♂️ (@nareshbahrain) December 19, 2022
then miracle happened.. #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/JnhrdzEIR8
They took him to check up and this is how it came into view.
How old was Messi when he got treatment?
Messi’s family realised that even though he was playing among other children his age, he was always the smallest of them. The seven times Ballon d’Or winner started having treatment when he was 12 years of age. Every night, he had to take injections of hormones in his legs which were very painful for a little boy of 12.
How did Messi pay for his treatment?
When #Messi was 11, he was diagnosed w/growth hormone deficiency (GHD), a condition caused by insufficient amounts of growth hormone in the body, leading to an impaired growth & development. His family cud not afford the treatment for long.
— Naresh Nambisan | നരേഷ് 🧘♂️ (@nareshbahrain) December 19, 2022
then miracle happened.. #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/JnhrdzEIR8
The footballer’s parents did their best to bear his medical expenses at first but with time it was getting more difficult for them to carry on the treatment. As per the report, the cost of his medical treatment soared to $900 making it almost impossible for the family to afford such an expensive treatment.
Did Barcelona pay for Messi’s treatment?
When Messi’s treatment and his future career came to the verge of destruction, Barcelona landed as a god-sent. The club offered to pay for the Argentinean footballer in exchange for his joining the club when he was just 13. Messi did join and carried on his treatment.
The 35-year-old Paris Saint-Germain superstar is the first athlete to win both the World Sportsman of the Year and the World Team of the Year in the same year. The special talent guided Argentina to their first World Cup glory in 36 years.
Lionel Messi, now the PSG star is on the edge of his two-year contract with the club and looking forward to starting a new adventure in a new destination. Which team Messi might join for the upcoming seasons? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
