Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has been seen arriving back to his home island of Madeira after his mother was rushed to hospital after suffering a stroke.
He was reportedly driven straight to Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital in the capital Funchal after his private jet touched down from Italy just after 4pm on Tuesday.
He had taken the trip with his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez and his eldest son, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, known as Cristianinho.
According to local reports, Cristiano walked into the hospital via a back entrance to avoid reporters and fans who had gathered outside the main entrance.
His mother, Dolores Aveiro, 65, is said to have been admitted to hospital just after 5am on Tuesday morning. Local media say she is ‘conscious and stable’.
Cristiano, 35, was due to play for Juventus in the Italian cup on Wednesday night, but he travelled to be with his mother after the medical emergency.
He is set to remain overnight in Madeira but is expected to leave on Wednesday morning unless his mum’s condition worsens, so he can be back in Italy in time for his side’s cup match against Milan in the evening.
One local report says his mother has suffered an ischemic stroke, which is an obstruction of the artery, preventing the passage of oxygen to brain cells, which is the most common type of stroke.
