Family gathers round bedside as Best fights infection
George Best’s family were gathered round his bedside tonight as the football legend fought for his life.
Best, 59, has been visited by his son, sisters and brothers, as he struggles to survive on a life support machine. He was placed on the ventilator in the early hours of this morning after he developed a serious lung infection at the Cromwell Hospital, west London.
Tonight the hospital’s spokesman, Jeffrey Brandon said Best remained in a serious but stable condition in intensive care.
“He’s stable but remains critical. He is still on the life support machine. They have been able to withdraw one of the medicines he was on but he still remains critical,” said the spokesman.
This afternoon Dr Akeel Alisa, assistant to Professor Roger Williams, who has been treating Best, said they were doing everything they could to help the former footballer.
Dr Alisa said: “We are following all medical avenues to try to keep him stable. He is ventilated so he is not conscious.”
The doctor added: “Today has been a relatively good day, however. He is stable. He is receiving cards and flowers from a lot of people who care about him.”
Best’s son, Calum, arrived at the hospital early this afternoon to visit his father. Phil Hughes, Best’s agent, said his two sisters, Barbara and Carol, were also at his bedside as were his two brother-in-laws, Norman and Alan, and his brother Ian.
The ex-Manchester United star was admitted to the hospital on October 1 suffering from flu-like infections. His health deteriorated rapidly at the beginning of this month when he developed a kidney infection.
But his condition was thought to be improving until yesterday when Professor Williams announced he had suffered a “big setback” and had developed a severe lung infection.
This new illness has caused problems “with kidneys and everything else again”, according to Prof Williams, and Best has been placed on dialysis.
Press reports today suggested that Best’s weight had dropped to just six stone and he is believed to be on a drip.
| Related Stories: |
|
