'One of the greatest days of my life': JR Smith shares happy update after finally holding his one-pound premature daughter for the first time

  • J.R. Smith and his wife Jewel uploaded a video updating fans on their daughter
  • She was born five days ago, five months premature and weighs just one pound 
  • The video was posted to teammate Lebron James' platform Uninterrupted

By Anna Hopkins For Dailymail.com

Published: 14:36 EST, 6 February 2017 | Updated: 20:35 EST, 6 February 2017

JR Smith shared his joy with his 2.7 million Instagram followers after being able to hold his severely premature daughter for the first time.

The baby, Dakota, was born in early January at 21 weeks old weighing just one pound, and has been fighting for her life in the neonatal unit ever since.

Doctors determined that Dakota was finally strong enough to be held by her parents, and the Cleveland Cavaliers hooper gushed with happiness over his first 'skin to skin' moment with his youngest daughter. 

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J.R. Smith shared his joy with his 2.7 million Instagram followers after being able to hold his severely premature daughter for the first time

J.R. Smith shared his joy with his 2.7 million Instagram followers after being able to hold his severely premature daughter for the first time

Five days after their daughter was born, Smith and his wife Jewel shared a video telling the world about their baby's difficult birth.

Jewel choked up while telling of their daughter being born five months early, taking a deep breath before telling the camera of the new parent's struggle.

She said: 'We decided to share with the world what's been going on with our family the last five days.

JR previously posted a photo on Instagram of his second daughter with Jewel, Demi, who has been with her parents as they visit Dakota in the hospital

JR previously posted a photo on Instagram of his second daughter with Jewel, Demi, who has been with her parents as they visit Dakota in the hospital

'We know a lot of you guys congratulated us on the expectancy of our little baby girl, but we had her five months early.

JR Smith and wife Jewel were married in August of 2016

JR Smith and wife Jewel were married in August of 2016

'She's five days old today. Her name is Dakota and she weighs one pound,' she told the camera in the video posted to Uninterrupted, the platform created by Smith's teammate Lebron James. 

Jewel continued: 'We know we're not the only family going through this, who has been through this and who will ever go through it, that's why we decided to share what we're going through with you guys.

'Please keep us in your prayers, and we'll do the same for everyone else.'

Smith has faced difficulty in his career recently as well, after being out of the game since December 21 with a thumb injury and is expected to be benched for three months while he recovers.

In the video he also thanks fans for reaching out and checking on him about his injury.

The two were married in August of 2016 and also announced the pregnancy on Uninterrupted.  

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