Best is fighting for his life
Former soccer star George Best was today fighting for survival on a life support machine, the hospital where he is being treated said.
Best, 59, was placed on the machine last night after his condition deteriorated in Cromwell Hospital, west London.
It was revealed that Best is suffering from a lung infection.
The news came after Best’s doctor, Professor Roger Williams, said yesterday that the ex-Manchester United and Northern Ireland footballer had suffered a “big setback” in his battle to recover from illness brought on by years of alcohol abuse.
Best was admitted to the hospital with an infection last month but, until recently, his condition had been improving.
Today Jeffrey Brandon, press officer for Cromwell Hospital, told waiting reporters: “Mr Best remains seriously ill in intensive care on a life support machine.
“As of yesterday morning he wasn’t on a life support machine. He was put on it some time last night or yesterday evening after his condition worsened during the day from the morning to the evening.
“The reason he was brought back into intensive care was with a lung infection. He is serious.”
Asked about press reports today that Best’s weight has fallen to just six stones, Mr Brandon said: “You will appreciate that someone who has been seriously ill their weight will certainly have dropped.”
Asked whether Best was able to eat normally, Mr Brandon said: “I would imagine he is on a drip.”
Best was ``not looking good'', according to his former Manchester United team-mate Denis Law, who visited him yesterday.
He said people were again praying for the footballing legend.
Best’s son Calum also visited the hospital yesterday and was particularly upset. Other family members were heading for London because they knew he was “extremely ill”, he added.
Law was calm as he spoke outside the Cromwell Hospital in west London – unlike three weeks ago when he made some moving and tearful comments after visiting his friend.
He said yesterday: “I wasn’t able to talk to him. He was more or less unconscious. When I was down here a few weeks ago, I really thought at that time that I would not be seeing him.
“Then I thought he was on the mend. He was improving but had a relapse earlier this morning and that is why I came down here.
“You have just got to look at him and see all the tubes helping his breathing and you just feel it is not good.”
Asked whether Best knew he was there, Law said: “I would like to think so but I don’t think he did.”
He said the one-time soccer star was a “fighter” and “has a strong heart”.
Professor Williams, speaking outside the hospital yesterday, said Best had developed a “new and severe infection” and had taken a turn for the worse.
He said: “Mr Best is not so well. He has been admitted back to intensive care. He has got a new and severe infection.
“He is on dialysis and he is very poorly at the moment. He was improving until yesterday afternoon and he was really pretty good.
“He was maintaining some progress each day and now he was acquired another infection as these patients are very susceptible to infection at this stage of recovery.”
Best’s infection was causing problems “with kidneys and everything else again” and was a big setback after some steady progress after the last two weeks, he added.
The doctor said Best’s breathing was OK and that, while he was receiving oxygen, he was not on a ventilator. He also said his patient was conscious and just about talking.
“He was eating and making good progress but we are all very disturbed at a sudden setback like this.”
Asked if the current infection was life-threatening, he said: “He is very ill at the minute so we will see how it goes ...”
| Related Stories: |
|
