JUVENTUS star Cristiano Ronaldo enjoys nothing more than spending time with his family when he’s off the pitch.
And mum Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro, who is currently in hospital in Madeira after suffering a stroke, plays a hugely influential role in the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s life.
Who is Cristiano Ronaldo’s mother?
Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and Ronaldo’s father, Jose diniz Aveiro, raised the footballer and his siblings in the Funchal parish of Santo Antonio.
But during the film documentary entitled Ronaldo, she admitted that she considered having an abortion when she was pregnant with him.
In the film, she says: “He is a child that I wanted to abort. God didn’t want that to happen and I was blessed because of that and God didn’t punish me.
“Sometimes Ronaldo makes fun of me and says ‘You didn’t want me to be born. But now you see that I’m here helping all of you.’ And, well, sometimes we have a laugh about that.”
Dolores attempted to stay out of the public eye until she created social media profiles last year.
She now regularly updates her followers with pictures of herself and relatives.
In July 2018 she denied that she tried to talk her son into rejoining Manchester United.
In March 2020, she was admitted to Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital in her native island of Madeira after suffering a stroke.
Local media reported that she was “conscious and stable” while Ronaldo rushed to be at her side.
How many siblings does Cristiano Ronaldo have?
Cristiano Ronaldo has two elder sisters, Elma and Lilianna Catia, and a brother named Hugo.
He grew up in a Catholic and impoverished home, sharing a room with his brothers and sisters.
Ronaldo has spoken out about his lack of relationship with his father – who died of liver disease aged 53.
Dolores now lives very closely with the footballer, his partner Georgina Rodriguez and his four children.
She has been previously photographed on social media babysitting Alana Martina, Eva, Mateo and Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.
Dolores has not remarried after the death of her husband but is said to be dating Jose Andrade.
What is Maria’s job?
Ronaldo’s mum spends much of her time raising her grandchildren.
She posts many pictures on social media showing her looking after the kids.
You can follow her on Instagram @doloresaveiroofficial.
She is also the owner of a restaurant in Brazil named Casa Aveiro.
Dolores opened the business on July 9 following the success of their first diner in their home island of Madeira.
Cristiano Ronaldo reveals his mother is stable in hospital in Madeira
Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed his mother is in a stable condition in a Madeira hospital after he rushed to her bedside with his girlfriend and eldest son when she was admitted to hospital after a stroke.
In a statement released tonight, Ronaldo said: ‘Thank you for all your messages of support for my mum.
‘She is currently stable and recovering in hospital.
‘Me and my family would like to thank the medical team looking after her, and kindly ask that we are all given some privacy at this time.’
On arrival on his home island this afternoon, the Juventus forward was driven straight to Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital in the capital Funchal to be with his mother Dolores Aveiro, 65, after touching down in his private jet from Italy.
He was accompanied by partner Georgina Rodriguez and his eldest son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, known as Cristianinho.
Regional health chiefs confirmed last night Cristiano’s mum had suffered an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain.
The Madeira Health Service said in a statement: ‘We can confirm the admission of Dolores Aveiro in the early hours of March 3 with an ischemic 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 towards improving the prognosis. So far the evolution of the patient’s clinical situation is proceeding as expected. ‘
The statement added: ‘It should be noted that a stroke, in its acute phase, always has a reserved prognosis.
‘In compliance with general data protection regulation, we will not be able to provide any other type of information about this specific case and its evolution as this is a matter that is reserved for family members.
All clinical information will be made known only and exclusively to the patient’s family, who may make it public or not as is their right.’
Thrombolysis, also known as thrombolytic therapy, is a treatment to dissolve dangerous clots in blood vessels, improve blood flow and prevent damage to tissues and organs.
It is thought to have involved the injection of clot-busting drugs through an intravenous line.
Thrombectomy is a technique which involves the removal of a blood clot from the artery through a catheter.
Local reports said Cristiano walked into the ward via a back entrance today to avoid reporters and fans who had gathered outside the main entrance.
Dolores was rushed to the hospital around 5am this morning.
She was said to be ‘conscious and stable’ earlier today although the hospital has made no official comment on her condition following a request for privacy from her family who have also stayed silent so far.
Cristiano is set to remain overnight in Madeira but is expected to leave tomorrow morning unless his mother’s condition worsens so he can be back in Italy in time for his side’s cup match against Milan in the evening.
Dolores’ health drama occurred hours after she posted a selfie showing her enjoying a day out on her home island.
She looked happy and relaxed as she posed for the photo yesterday/on Sunday by a monument in Machico, a small city on Madeira’s east coast which was the island’s first settlement.
The mother-of-four, who has more than two million followers on Instagram, wrote alongside the photo: ‘Happy Sunday to everyone.’
Her daughter Katia responded with a heart emoticon and the words: ‘My darling mum.’
A follower responded: ‘Happy Sunday to you too Dolores. You’re looking very nice.’
At the start of last year Dolores revealed she was ‘fighting for her life’ after a new cancer drama.
She beat breast cancer after being diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
But in February last year ahead of a trip to Italy to celebrate her footballer son’s 35th birthday she admitted to new health problems.
She told a Portuguese TV station in a interview: ‘I was operated on another breast in Madrid, I’ve had radiotherapy and now I’m fighting for my life.’
One local report says she has suffered an ischemic stroke, caused by a blood clot that blocks or plugs a blood vessel in the brain. This is the most common type of stroke.
Cristiano’s brother Hugo Aveiro, who also visited their mother yesterday, was quoted as saying: ‘Everything’s okay’ as he left the hospital.
Local media reported earlier today that Dolores was ‘conscious and stable.’
‘All we can say is that he’s not at training for personal reasons,’ a Juventus spokesman said earlier today without giving further details.
Wellwishers offered the 65-year-old their support on social media today.
One said: ‘Get well soon Dolores. Portugal is with you.’ Another added: ‘Stay strong Dolores. Everything will be okay. We will be praying for you.’
One local TV report described the next 12 hours as ‘decisive’ and described Dolores’ stroke as ‘severe’.
Sporting Lisbon, where Ronaldo started his senior career before he signed for Manchester United, wished Dolores a speedy recovery today.
Ronaldo’s mother is an ambassador for the club’s foundation.
The club said in a statement: ‘Sporting Clube de Portugal wishes Dolores Aveiro all the best and wishes she makes a speedy recovery.’
At the start of last year Dolores revealed she was ‘fighting for her life’ after a new cancer drama.
She recovered from breast cancer after being diagnosed with the disease in 2007.
In 2009, then-Manchester United star Ronaldo donated £100,000 to build a new cancer centre at the hospital where his mother was treated.
But in February last year ahead of a trip to Italy to celebrate her son’s 35th birthday she admitted to new health problems.
She told a Portuguese TV station in a interview: ‘I was operated on another breast in Madrid, I’ve had radiotherapy and now I’m fighting for my life.’
There has been no official comment from the hospital today, and there was no immediate response to the news from the footballer’s representatives in Portugal.
Two days ago, Dolores had looked happy and relaxed as she posed for a photo by a monument in Machico, a small city on Madeira’s east coast.
The 65-year-old, who has more than two million followers on Instagram, wrote alongside the photo: ‘Happy Sunday to everyone.’
Her daughter Katia responded with a heart image and the words: ‘My darling mum.’ A follower responded: ‘Happy Sunday to you too Dolores. You’re looking very nice.’
The previous day she posted another photo thought to have been taken from the roof terrace of her home on the island with a message saying: ‘Good weekend to everyone.
‘Take advantage of this sun to enjoy a stroll, but don’t forget to protect your eyes with sunglasses.’
Dolores has been a devoted follower of her son’s career, frequently celebrating on the pitch with him after his footballing triumphs.
‘Ronaldo would not be where he is without his mother,’ said Francisco Afonso, Ronaldo’s first coach at the small local club CF Andorinha, in 2015.
Last year, Dolores stood firmly by her son’s side when he was accused of rape in a now-abandoned criminal investigation.
She said last February that she had ‘confidence in my son when it comes to what happened’ during the visit to Las Vegas at the centre of the claim.
The mother-of-four also lashed out at Ronaldo’s American accuser, saying she ‘didn’t go to his hotel room to play cards’.
Ronaldo is due to play in an Italian cup semi-final against AC Milan on Wednesday evening.
The 35-year-old was born in Madeira and began his youth career there before moving to Sporting Lisbon.
