Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Brazil legend Ronaldinho held in cells
Family joy at all-clear after nearly 4yrs of treatment
BRAZILIAN soccer legend Ronaldinho could be locked up for six months while police probe claims he used a fake passport.
The former Barcelona star, 39, is stuck in a Paraguay police cell after being refused bail on Saturday.
His lawyers will appeal the decision to hold him for up to half a year while investigations continue ahead of possible charges.
Ronaldinho’s brother and manager, Roberto, who also entered the country on Wednesday, is being held in the same station in capital city Asuncion.
The star’s lawyer has said he was given a Paraguayan passport as a “gift”, and thought it was an “honorary” document.
He claims he gave it to an official without thinking on arrival in Paraguay.
A MUM and son who battled cancer for almost four years have been given the all-clear.
Vici Rigby, 40, and her young son George were diagnosed with cancer within five months of each other.
She was diagnosed first with stage four colorectal cancer in autumn 2016.
In January 2017 George, four, was found to have acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, three weeks after she had undergone liver surgery.
Vici, who has another son Jack, needed six rounds of chemotherapy followed by surgery on her liver and bowel, radiotherapy and then 12 more rounds of chemotherapy.
She said: “When I was diagnosed my first thought was about the boys. I assumed the outcome would be bad.
“When George was diagnosed, the rug was pulled from underneath us again. I guess on one hand we were just shellshocked again but on the other hand we were so used to talking about and living through cancer that it almost felt like this is what we did.
“I remember thinking we had to hope for two miracles, for us both to get better. George’s prognosis was very good so even though it was the most difficult period of time, we always had a lot of hope and reassurance that he’d recover.”
After three and a half years of care at
Worcestershire Royal Hospital, George rang the bell to signify being all-clear.
Vici, who was discharged months before, said: “It feels quite surreal when you’re given that diagnosis and you’re looking at three years of treatment.
“You never think the day is going to come. You get into a routine of hospital appointments. We can make plans, book a holiday without the worry.”
The family moved from Bromsgrove,
Worcs, to Tenby, southwest Wales last summer, not long after her treatment had ended.
Vici and husband Jamie undertook a monthly 350-mile, seven-hour round trip so George could be treated at Worcestershire Royal Hospital for the final crucial few months.
Vici said: “There were a few times when both I and George were in the hospital at the same time and the team were all just brilliant.”
Children and young people’s oncology nurse specialist Dawn Forbes said: “George has been very brave. His parents have also shown immense resilience.”
Bernice Kent, the clinical nurse specialist who cared for Vici, said: “It’s lovely to see such a positive ending.”