AceShowbiz - Sports icon-turned-TV personality Shaquille O'Neal's son is undergoing heart surgery.

University of California, Los Angeles student Shareef O'Neal, 18, was forced to miss the school's entire 2018 basketball season as a result of an irregularity, which was discovered during a routine checkup with team doctors, and he underwent surgery on Thursday, December 13.

"This morning was by far my toughest moment being a Mom," his mother Shaunie says in a statement to TMZ. "If only I could take his place today. Could I at least go with him in that operating room and hold his hand? Separating from him as he was wheeled off to surgery was heartbreaking."

"I don't care how old, how big, how grown my kids get, I still want to protect them. I had no control over any of this. But there is a God, I trust and believe He is in there with my baby right now and has complete control."

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This morning was by far my toughest moment being a Mom. If only I could take his place today. Could I at least go with him in that operating room and hold his hand. Separating from him as he was wheeled off to surgery was heartbreaking. THATS MY BABY! I don’t care how old, how big, how grown my kids get I still want to protect them. I had no control over any of this. But there is a God, I trust and believe He is in there with my baby right now and has complete control. #prayforreef 🙏🏽❤️ @shareefoneal #mybaby

A post shared by Shaunie O'Neal (@shaunieoneal5) on Dec 13, 2018 at 9:02am PST

Shareef previously told TMZ he expects to make a full recovery and rejoin the UCLA Bruins basketball team in time for next season.