Brazilian football legend Pele, 80, was briefly transferred back to an intensive care unit Friday after suffering breathing difficulties but is now stable, said the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, where he underwent surgery earlier this month.
A statement released by the hospital read, “Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele) presented brief respiratory instability at dawn on September 17 and as a preventive measure, he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).””After stabilization of the condition, the patient was transferred to semi-intensive care. He is, at this moment, stable from a cardiovascular and respiratory point of view and is still recovering from the abdominal postoperative period,” the statement added.
On September 6 the hospital said Pele had undergone surgery for a suspected colon tumor. He originally left the ICU unit on Tuesday, telling his fans on social media that he was feeling happier by the day and was looking forward to reuniting with them.The suspected tumor was detected during routine tests, according to the hospital, where Pele has been undergoing treatment since August 31.
Recently, the ex-footballer posted a message on social media stating: “Friends, I am still recovering very well. Today I received visits from family and I am still smiling every day.”
Pele’s daughter Kely Nascimento also posted a photo of herself next to her father in the hospital, seeking to cheer up his fans. “This is the normal recovery scenario for a man his age. After an operation like this, sometimes you take two steps forward, one step back,” Nascimento wrote on Instagram next to the photo.
“Yesterday he was tired and he took a step back. Today, he has taken two steps forward,” she added.
