Cristiano Ronaldo rushes to Madeira after mother suffers stroke

Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo rushed to Madeira to be with his mother, Dolores Aveiro, 65. She is recovering in a hospital in Funchal after suffering a stroke in the early hours on Tuesday.

Aveiro, a mother of four, was admitted to Dr. Nelio Mendonca Hospital after 5 am on Tuesday.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner skipped training with his club, Juventus, and flew to Madeira. The 35-year-old captain of the Portuguese National Football Team asked for privacy on this matter.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star thanked his fans on twitter for their well wishes. He also assured followers that his mother is currently stable and she is recovering well.

Ronaldo's girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, and one of his sons accompanied him on his Madeira visit.

Regional health chiefs have confirmed that Ronaldo's mum suffered an ischaemic stroke, which is generally caused by a blood clot. The condition blocks the brain's internal blood vessels.

The Madeira Health Service said, "We can confirm the admission of Dolores Aveiro in the early hours of March 3 with an ischaemic stroke with a short evolution time. This enabled two vascular recanalization therapies to be carried out, one which was thrombolysis and another which was a thrombectomy. These therapies are contributing to improving the prognosis. So far the evolution of the patient's clinical situation is proceeding as expected."

They also added that a stroke, when in the acute phase, always has a reserved prognosis. To stay in compliance with the general data protection regulation, the doctors won't be able to reveal any further information about this specific case and its evolution. The information is reserved for family members only.

Fox Sports reported that thrombolytic therapy is a type of treatment that is used to dissolve dangerous clots in a person's blood vessels. It improves blood flow and also prevents any damage to tissues and organs.

Meanwhile, the second leg of Juve's Italian Cup semi-final with AC Milan in Turin has been postponed over rising coronavirus fears. The decision was taken since the Civil Protection Agency claimed that 27 people in Italy died of the illness within a span of 24 hours. The total number of deaths in Italy has now risen to 79.