Dwight Howard Shares Emotional Message About His Mother: 'She Lost 7 Kids Before Having Me'

Dwight Howard shared an emotional message on social media to honor his mother, Cheryl Howard. Dwight revealed the hardships her mother had to overcome before having him while discussing the value of a mother.

"My mom has endured a lot of loss. She lost 7 kids before having me, so I never take having this life for granted. My son has lost his mother, so I know while today brings happiness to many, there are others still heartbroken from the loss of their mothers or the losses they have taken as mothers. Let’s do what we can to help them stay in good spirits and smile."

Howard vowed to start an initiative to spread smiles around the world on the 12th of every month.

"It’s the 12th of the month and I promised that every 12th of the month I will commit to an initiative that brings smiles to people all around the world! So in honor of D12 day, I’m going to be doing a Mother’s Day giveaway to appreciate mothers and help those struggling with the loss of their mothers all across the world."

Howard's mother Cheryl dealt with seven miscarriages before birthing Dwight, which is why he's referred to as a miracle baby in his family. Calling him a miracle was quite apt as Howard grew into an ultra-athletic seven-footer who entered the NBA as a high schooler and instantly dominated. 

His mother played women's college basketball at Morris Brown, but Howard was a beast on the court and would win three Defensive Player of the Year titles and make an NBA Finals in his first 6 years in the NBA. Cheryl worked tirelessly to ensure Dwight could achieve his dreams.

Not much is known about Cheryl outside of her past as a college basketball player and the tragic fact of her enduring seven miscarriages. 

Dwight's father was Dwight Sr., Georgia State Trooper and the athletic director at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, a private academy where Howard attended high school. His son becoming an NBA star was partly due to the encouragement he gave to pursue the sport, a decision that changed the lives of that family forever.