BRAZILIAN soccer icon Pele‘s health has worsened as he continues to battle colon cancer and he will spend Christmas in the hospital.
Pele, 82, has been battling colon cancer since September 2021 and was hospitalized on November 29 for doctors to reevaluate his treatment.
The Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital released an update on Pele’s condition Wednesday and revealed he now requires care for cardiac and renal dysfunction.
He has also been treated for a respiratory infection diagnosed following his hospitalization.
‘Admitted since November 29 for a reassessment of chemotherapy therapy for colon tumor and treatment of a respiratory infection, Edson Arantes do Nascimento presents progression of the oncological disease and requires greater care related to renal and cardiac dysfunctions,’ read the update from medical staff.
The patient remains hospitalized in a common room, under the necessary care of the medical team.’
The legend’s daughter, Kely Nascimento, said in an Instagram post that the support of his fans was a ‘huge comfort’ to him.
She wrote: ‘Your love for him, your stories, and your prayers are a HUGE comfort because we know we are not alone.
‘Let’s turn this room into a Sambadrome (just kidding), let’s even make caipirinhas (not kidding!!).’
The news comes after recent reports provided fans with some optimism, claiming he had been improving.
‘The patient continues to show improvement in the clinical status, in particular the respiratory infection. He remains in a regular room, is conscious and with stable vital signs,’ medical staff at Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital said.
Hobnob News reported last week that Pele had made ‘progressive improvements’ after he was taken to hospital for tests.
Despite initial concerns that he was close to death, his daughters Flavia and Kely Nascimento quickly moved to rubbish those reports and said he is ‘sick’ but is still supporting Brazil in their bid to win the World Cup.
An update from the doctors treating him in Sao Paulo supported his daughters’ claims on Saturday.
