Robert Jaworski suffering from rare blood disorder, says son Dodot

Robert “Dodot” Jaworski Jr. revealed that his father, the legendary Robert “Sonny” Jaworski, is suffering from a rare blood disorder where his iron levels are elevated, while also being anemic at the same time, making him susceptible to other diseases.

In an interview with Anthony Taberna in his YouTube channel Tune in kay Tunying, Dodot said his father’s condition has left doctors around the world puzzled over his condition, and is thus limited only to maintenance care.

“For the past so many years, we’ve been trying to look for doctors here and abroad but none of them can understand what is happening to him. He’s okay, but he’s not at 100% physical strength,” he told Taberna.

Back in March, Jaworski Sr. got his family and fans worried after going through a bout with pneumonia, although fortunately avoiding COVID-19.

Still, the Jaworski family revealed that their patriarch had “difficulty in regaining his strength, weight, and normal well-being” due to the illness complicated by the blood disorder they discovered way back in  2016.

Dodot admitted in Taberna’s interview that while his father has days where he’s in high spirits, there are also moments where he is more quiet and reserved than usual.

The elder Jaworski, with his iconic moniker “Big J,” remains one of Philippine basketball’s most well-known and beloved legends, who, up until the pandemic hit, occasionally visited Barangay Ginebra games to impart wisdom and inspiration.

Dodot said his father’s unnaturally high iron levels may have helped him stay energized well into the twilight of his career, but at the cost of his health stability into his retirement. Jaworski retired from basketball at age 52 in 1998. 

“Ngayong nagkaka-edad siya, it could be the reason why humina siyang bigla,” he said.

(Now that he’s advancing in age, it could be the reason why he suddenly got weaker.)

The younger Jaworski called on fans to keep his 75-year-old father in their prayers while he takes on another formidable foe, this time outside the hardwood floor he always loved. – Rappler.com