Calum Best has revealed that his mum, Angie, has been diagnosed with cancer in an emotional video.
The TV personality and entrepreneur, 44, who is the only son of Angie and football icon George Best, shared that his mother had been diagnosed with colon cancer weeks ago, which has now spread to her liver.
As well as the devastating health update, Calum said he set up a GoFundMe to help the family financially.
Speaking to the camera in the video, posted to his Instagram page, Calum began: ‘Hi everyone, I’ve been thinking long and hard over the past few weeks about how to write this.
‘I wanted to get the words right, but when it comes to health, and when it comes to my mum, the only thing that really matters is honesty.
‘A few weeks ago, my beautiful, wonderful mum was diagnosed with cancer.’
The Dorking Wanderers women’s team chairman went on to say that for as long as he could remember, Angie has lived her life ‘rooted in health, fitness, and wellbeing.’
‘She has always believed in taking care of the body, mind and soul. But as we all know, cancer doesn’t discriminate.
‘It doesn’t care where you’re from, how you live, or how healthy you try to be. And now, it’s here – and it’s with my mum,’ he continued.
‘I’ll be honest, I haven’t cried in years but this has been an emotional rollercoaster I never expected to be on.
‘We’ve reached a point where we felt it was important to share what we’re going through and, humbly, ask for help.’
He said that following the diagnosis, Angie needs access to ‘specialist care and professionals’ and asked for help financially from viewers.
What are the symptoms of colon cancer?
According to the NHS, the main symptoms of colon cancer are:
- Changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea, or constipation that is not usual for you
- Needing to poo more or less often than usual for you
- Blood in your poo, which may look red or black
- Bleeding from your bottom
- Often feeling like you need to poo, even if you’ve just been to the toilet
- Tummy pain
- A lump in your tummy
- Bloating
- Losing weight without trying
- Feeling very tired or short of breath – these are signs of anaemia, which can be caused by bowel cancer
‘To move forward, we need access to specialist care and professionals who can offer the right treatment,’ he said.
‘This is incredibly hard for me to say, but financially, I can’t carry this on my own.
‘So we’ve created this GoFundMe page to ask for your support.’
The page currently sits at more than £13,000 at the time of writing, 39% of its £35k target.
‘Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us access the specialists, treatment and care my mum needs during this time.
‘We’ll also be sharing updates along the way, and my mum will be posting videos too, when she feels able.
‘From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading, for caring, for sharing and for supporting us in any way you can. Calum.’
The star also shared a message from Angie, who stressed that she is ready to ‘fight’ the disease and has researched several elements of her treatment.
The former Big Brother contestant added: ‘Consultations and research all takes dosh which I don’t have BUT I truly believe that this info will be invaluable as research suggests 1 in 2 of us will get some form of cancer. Yikes. Wish me luck, Onwards and upwards Homies.’
Angie and George wed in 1976, just a year into their whirlwind romance after meeting in Los Angeles.
They went on to have son, Calum, in 1981, before splitting the following year due to George’s issues with alcohol, and domestic violence.
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
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