'He was the biggest miracle': Tim Tebow's mom opens up about her rough pregnancy with him; discusses his success

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — He has managed to maintain a positive image in a world filled with negative influences. Tim Tebow has said time and time again that his mother, Pam Tebow is the key to his success. 

"His siblings called him Timmy the tumor,” Pam Tebow said. "They joke about that now but it wasn't funny at the time."

Born just under 7 pounds and malnourished, her youngest son, whom she calls an answered prayer, nearly took her life. Against the advice of doctors, Pam Tebow held on to her miracle child.

“[My doctor] said that I needed to have an abortion," she said. "She said that I needed to abort quickly and my life was in danger. She said I would die and he wasn't really a baby he was a mass of fetal tissue."

Pam Tebow and her husband served as missionaries in a remote village in the Philippines during her difficult pregnancy. She recalls the painful days and nights. Little Timmy's survival baffled doctors.

“When [my doctor] delivered Timmy, he said it was the biggest miracle he had ever been a part of," Pam Tebow said. "He had never seen anything like it and he couldn’t explain it. There was just a tiny piece of placenta that was attached to him and he said there was no explanation for how he survived all of those months in the womb.”

Tim Tebow would grow to become the largest of Pam's five children and most recognized. 

A star football player at the University of Florida by 2007, he went on to win a Heisman Trophy which pushed him into the national spotlight. A pro athlete from football to baseball, Pam Tebow's "Timmy" managed to never fumble when it came to his clean image as a positive role model.

“All of us have platforms of some sort,” Pam Tebow said. "Some are large and some are small. I just felt like we needed to encourage our kids while they were young that whatever they do they need to use that as an opportunity to impact the lives of people around them." 

Tim Tebow has had to lean on mom through some difficult times. Cut from the New York Jets, teased for his squeaky clean image and rumors swirled as Tim Tebow remained a bachelor for so long.

“That is going to hurt you because that's your child and you know the truth,” Pa, Tebow said. "He's done everything possible to keep his image clean because he really wants to be a role model for those little boys who look up to him and he wanted to wait for the right person." 

Tim Tebow is now engaged to former Miss Universe, Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters. He popped the question in December of 2018 on the family’s Jacksonville farm. It was a proud moment for a mother who, 31 years ago, was ready to lose her life in exchange for Timmy's. 

“You have to be strong for your kids and encourage them and encourage them in the right way,” Pam Tebow declared. 

Pam Tebow, a mother of five with eight grandchildren and one on the way now has a book out called "Ripple Effects." It’s about the influence of our lives and having an impact on others.  

When asked how involved she is in planning her son's wedding, she says she doesn’t know all of the details as yet and she’s leaving it up to her son and his fiancé to share.