Aug. 12--Elena Delle Donne writes about the inspiration she draws from her older sister Lizzie, who was born blind and deaf, in an article published to The Players' Tribune on Wednesday.
Delle Donne revealed her sister has had more than 20 surgeries.
"She inspires me. None of my hardships are even close to the same plane as what she has endured," writes Delle Donne, who has Lyme disease. "And look at what makes her happy. ... Wind. That's perspective."
The Sky guard-forward also explains that her older sister has been a "huge" reason why she stays in the U.S. during the offseason instead of playing overseas, and why she chose to play at Delaware instead of more elite programs like Connecticut. Because of Lizzie's disabilities, the sisters can only communicate through touch and smell.
"I can't just Skype with her when I'm missing her," Elena Delle Donne wrote. "I can't text her. I can't call her. That's hard. I have to be with her to communicate -- she has to literally touch me. Or smell me. I keep her picture as the background on my phone so I can always see her."
Delle Donne wrote the editorial as part of The Players' Tribune's "TBT Assist" series, which lets athletes bring a spotlight to their favorite caauses. Her foundation supports Special Olympics and Lyme disease awareness.
