Tanea Brooks was touched that she was honored during the Saturday, May 2, broadcast of AEW Collision.
“Thank you to my @aew family and [founder] @tonyrkhan and thank you to the fans for the signs,” Brooks, 47, wrote via her Instagram Stories on Sunday, May 3. “They truly lift my spirits.”
Announcer Tony Schiavone paid tribute to Brooks, who wrestled under her “Rebel” stage name, on Saturday’s episode.
“You probably know by social media that one of our fine athletes has some very serious health problems,” Schiavone, 68, said during the show. “We want [Tanea] to know you are a big part of AEW and we are thinking about you right now and we are praying for you, that you will pull through.”
He continued, “Rebel, we hope you’ll get better. Pray for Rebel. My dear, we’re thinking about you. She’s a wonderful young lady.”
Schiavone also noted that there were “a lot of signs,” created by fans in the crowd, supporting Brooks that could be seen throughout the venue.
One day earlier, Brooks confirmed that she was diagnosed with “terminal ALS.”
“OK, there’s an update and hold on because there is a plot twist,” she said in a social media video. “First, I want to say thank you for all of your prayers because, for those who know, it’s been a two-year medical journey trying to find out what is wrong. Finally, our prayers have been answered. The thing is, sometimes we don’t want to hear that answer to our prayers.”
While awaiting lung surgery, Brooks’ doctors discovered that the pro wrestler suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disorder that causes individuals to gradually lose control of their muscles. The disease is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and there is currently no known cure.
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“There is not a lot of research behind ALS, and we don’t know how long I have,” Brooks explained. “It explains why I have trouble walking and talking [and] all my functions will soon decline. But now, we can prepare for the future and what is to come.”
She added, “I want to say thank you to Tony Khan and AEW for supporting me on this medical journey. It has been a blessing that is unheard of and, from the bottom of my heart, thank you and thank you to all of you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for a peaceful journey and a peaceful passing.”
Brooks, who began wrestling in 2014, joined AEW in 2019. She took a step back from the ring after battling a series of then-undiagnosed symptoms including muscle loss and speech difficulty.
