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Brazil legend Pelé denies hospital reports he is in intensive care | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Pelé said on Thursday that he is not seriously ill, easing fears that his health deteriorated while being treated for a urinary tract infection. The 74-year-old used his official Twitter account to deny widespread reports that said his condition worsened and that he was put in intensive care. | |
“I want to take this opportunity to let you know that I am doing fine,” he said. “I was not put into intensive care today, I was simply relocated to a special room within the hospital for privacy purposes only.” | |
Pelé successfully underwent surgery to remove kidney stones on 13 November, but he was readmitted to the hospital on Monday after being diagnosed with the infection. The three-time World Cup winner has been hospitalized since then. | |
“I am blessed to receive your love and support, and thank God this is nothing serious,” he said. “I am looking forward to spending the upcoming holidays with my family, and will start the new year with renewed health, with many international trips already planned! Thank you!” | |
Pelé’s manager had already said that the former player was expected to make a “quick and full” recovery from the “minor” infection caused by the kidney stones surgery. Paul Kemsley said in a statement that reports about the deterioration of Pelé’s condition and about him going into intensive care “were greatly exaggerated.” | |
“He was relocated to a special area of the hospital for privacy purposes only, due to having an overwhelming number of visitors which prevented him from getting the necessary care and treatment,” he said. “He is expected to make a quick and full recovery.” | |
The Albert Einstein hospital released a statement earlier in the day saying Pelé was transferred to a “special care” unit after his condition became unstable. The statement created a scare in Brazil, with local media widely reporting that his condition had worsened. | |
“He is fine,” Jose Fornos Rodrigues, Pelé’s spokesman and personal aide said. “The problem was that he was receiving too many visitors and that wasn’t helping, so they transferred him to a calmer area to continue receiving the proper treatment. He should be out of the hospital in a few days.” | |
The hospital later released another statement saying that Pelé’s condition “improved” but for the first time mentioned that he was in “an intensive care unit” and temporarily undergoing kidney support treatment. The hospital’s press office had previously denied that Pelé was in intensive care, and his tweets came after the hospital’s latest report. | |