Boxing legend Ali fights for life in hospital
Back in the days Now
SUPPORT has flooded in for ailing Muhammad Ali as doctors battled his breathing problems.
The boxing legend was rushed to hospital suffering respiratory difficulties and fans took to social media to offer their prayers and thoughts last Thursday.
Twitter user Glen posted: “Get well Muhammad Ali .... It’s been a year of celebrity deaths let’s hope it’s not too serious.”Another begged “please make it” and added: “You are great man, so you deserve your life. Please don’t give up.”
Fan Justin wrote: “Get well soon Muhammad Ali... 2016 is not the year for heroes.” And one wellwisher said: “I Hope The Great One Muhammad Ali Is OK...”
Ali’s spokesman Bob Gunnell confirmed the former fighter was in hospital. He said: “Ali, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, is being treated by his team of doctors and is in fair condition.
“A brief hospital stay is expected. At this time, the Muhammad Ali family respectfully requests privacy.”
The setback comes 19 months after Ali was admitted to hospital after guests at his house in Scottsdale, Arizona, failed to wake him.At the time sources said: “He wasn’t responding. He went to bed night, but didn’t wake up in the afternoon or evening the next day. He was sleeping for 24 hours. They thought he might be too exhausted.”
The Olympic gold medalist had suffered a “mild case” of pneumonia but was discharged after a few days in hospital.
When he was released his daughter Rasheda Ali-Walsh said: “My daddy is a strong man. He’s so resilient and we’re all very grateful and blessed.”
However, he was readmitted several weeks later in January 2015 suffering a severe urinary tract infection sparking further fears for his health among his millions of fans. In November Ali’s close friend and former manager Gene Kilroy sparked concern when he described the boxer as “a prisoner in his own body”.
“It’s hard seeing him as he is today,” said Kilroy.
“He can just about walk and his speech is slurred. It takes huge effort for him to make the simplest communication now, but when he does, every word is worthwhile.
“But even now he has no fear. He says, ‘I’ll stay here as long as God wants me to. When my time comes I’ll have no regrets. I have achieved a lot.’”
Kilroy forged a lifelong friendship with “The Greatest” after the pair met at the Rome Olympics in 1960. Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s three years after he retired from boxing in 1981. The last several years has seen the former boxer’s public appearances diminish as he continues to battle the crippling condition.
Recently he was forced to cancel a planned trip to London to open an exhibition about his life.
Two years ago his brother Rahman Ali said the Olympic gold medalist’s health had deteriorated so much he was unable to speak.It led the boxer to miss the premiere in Hollywood of the new I Am Ali movie due to his frailty.
Several days later however Ali took to Twitter in attempt to reassure fans he was alright posting a picture of himself smiling alongside two women at the Boar’s Head in Charlottesville, Virginia.
It is unknown where Ali, who was also nicknamed the Louisville Lip, was taken ill but he has homes in Arizona, Michigan and Kentucky.
He lifted the world heavyweight title three times and endured legendary rivalries with Joe Frazier and George Foreman. In more recent months, Ali has waded into the America’s political fight. — Mirror.co.uk