The health condition of Pele, football king and a major symbol of the sport, has worsened, reported Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital on Wednesday. The announcement brought anguish to his fans who had been hoping to see him home for Christmas, as it was confirmed he would remain in the hospital.
"Edson Arantes do Nascimento presents a progression of the oncological disease and requires greater care related to renal and cardiac dysfunctions," says the medical bulletin. Translation: Cancer is causing greater heart and care dysfunction.
"Our Christmas at home has been suspended," said daughter Kely Nascimento on Instagram. "We decided with the doctors that, for various reasons, it would be better for us to stay here with all the care that this new family at Einstein gives us!!"
The post came immediately after the hospital statement which noted that Pele would not be transferred to palliative care as was reported by Folha of Sao Paulo earlier in the month. "The patient remains hospitalized in a common room, under the necessary care of the medical team."
Speculation had grown intense after the Folha report but Pele’s daughters had gone public to take the message away from talk of end-of-life and into a more optimistic tone. "He is not saying goodbye in the hospital," his daughter Kelly said, then from her home in the United States.
"At the moment, he is [hospitalized] to treat an infection and when he gets better, he will go home again."
Pele responded well to the respiratory infection according to the doctors, but the oncological situation has worsened.
Showing a picture of herself next to sister Flavia, who has emphatically denied her father was in palliative care, Kelly, now in Sao Paulo by her father’s side, joked in her post, "We are going to turn this room into a Sambódromo (just kidding), we will even make caipirinhas (not kidding!!)."
The Sambódromo is the purpose-built parade stadium for the famed Rio Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, and the site of most of the iconic images of carnival in Brazil the world gets to see. Caiphinas are the default national drink.
The underlying story, however, is that though Pele responded well to the respiratory infection, his body no longer responds to chemo treatment, though he remains in a regular room and not in palliative care. Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital is Latin America’s top hospital and among the best in the world.
Pele has been hospitalized there for three weeks now. He has recovered fully from the respiratory infection, but the colon cancer that he has been fighting since his 2021 diagnosis is progressing despite treatment, now affecting his heart and kidneys.
On December 1, Pele posted a picture of the moving tribute to him in Qatar on his Facebook page with a note saying, "Friends, I am at the hospital making my monthly visit. It's always nice to receive positive messages like this. Thanks to Qatar for this tribute, and to everyone who sends me good vibes!"
It is clear now that the situation is one of growing concern. Heart and kidney failure increase the risk of mortality in elderly patients, according to the Mayo Clinic. Pele is 82.
"Thank you for all the love you show us here in Brazil as well as around the world. Your love for him and your stories and prayers are a huge comfort because we know we are not alone," said daughter Kelly’s posting, promising a new update next week.
