Ronaldo’s mother rushed to hospital after suffering a stroke, reports claim

Cristiano Ronaldo is flying home to Madeira to be with his mother in hospital after she suffered a stroke, reports in Portugal claimed today.

Mother-of-four Dolores Aveiro is said to have been admitted to Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital in Madeira just after 5am this morning.

Local media say she is ‘conscious and stable.’ She is due to undergo new tests in the next few hours to determine her state of health.

Reports say that the Juventus star is flying to the Portuguese island on a private jet today and will return to Italy tomorrow to play in a cup semi-final against Milan.

One local report says Dolores has suffered an ischemic stroke, caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain.

This is the most common type of stroke.

Reports say Dolores is resting after receiving mechanical thrombectomy, a technique which involves the removal of a blood clot from the artery through a catheter.

Her family are said to have asked the regional health service to respect her privacy while she remains in intensive care at the hospital.

There has been no comment by any of her four children, but wellwishers have offered the 65-year-old their support on social media.

One said: ‘Get well soon Dolores. Portugal is with you.’ nother added: ‘Stay strong Dolores. Everything will be okay. We will be praying for you.’

New tests to evaluate her conditions and any side effects from the stroke she has reportedly suffered are not expected to take place until late this afternoon.

One local TV report described the next 12 hours as ‘decisive’ and described Dolores’ stroke as ‘severe’.

Sporting Lisbon, where Ronaldo started his senior career before he signed for Manchester United, wished Dolores a speedy recovery today.

Ronaldo’s mother is an ambassador for the club’s foundation.

The club said in a statement: ‘Sporting Clube de Portugal wishes Dolores Aveiro all the best and wishes she makes a speedy recovery.’

At the start of last year Dolores revealed she was ‘fighting for her life’ after a new cancer drama.

She recovered from breast cancer after being diagnosed with the disease in 2007.

In 2009, then-Manchester United star Ronaldo donated £100,000 to build a new cancer centre at the hospital where his mother was treated.

But in February last year ahead of a trip to Italy to celebrate her son’s 35th birthday she admitted to new health problems.

She told a Portuguese TV station in a interview: ‘I was operated on another breast in Madrid, I’ve had radiotherapy and now I’m fighting for my life.’

There has been no official comment from the hospital today, and there was no immediate response to the news from the footballer’s representatives in Portugal.

Two days ago, Dolores had looked happy and relaxed as she posed for a photo by a monument in Machico, a small city on Madeira’s east coast.

The 65-year-old, who has more than two million followers on Instagram, wrote alongside the photo: ‘Happy Sunday to everyone.’

Her daughter Katia responded with a heart image and the words: ‘My darling mum.’ A follower responded: ‘Happy Sunday to you too Dolores. You’re looking very nice.’

The previous day she posted another photo thought to have been taken from the roof terrace of her home on the island with a message saying: ‘Good weekend to everyone.

‘Take advantage of this sun to enjoy a stroll, but don’t forget to protect your eyes with sunglasses.’

Dolores has been a devoted follower of her son’s career, frequently celebrating on the pitch with him after his footballing triumphs.

‘Ronaldo would not be where he is without his mother,’ said Francisco Afonso, Ronaldo’s first coach at the small local club CF Andorinha, in 2015.

Last year, Dolores stood firmly by her son’s side when he was accused of rape in a now-abandoned criminal investigation.

She said last February that she had ‘confidence in my son when it comes to what happened’ during the visit to Las Vegas at the centre of the claim.

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The mother-of-four also lashed out at Ronaldo’s American accuser, saying she ‘didn’t go to his hotel room to play cards’.

Ronaldo is due to play in an Italian cup semi-final against AC Milan on Wednesday evening.

The 35-year-old was born in Madeira and began his youth career there before moving to Sporting Lisbon.