Angie Best shared an emotional update from her hospital bed as she undergoes unusual ‘mistletoe’ chemotherapy treatment following her recent cancer diagnosis.
The 73-year-old ex-wife of football legend George Best posted a photo on Instagram on Thursday showing her hooked up to an IV drip in a medical facility in Switzerland.
In the image, Angie can be seen sitting in a hospital bed with medical equipment visible beside her including bags of IV fluid on a stand.
The heartbreaking post comes just over a week after her son Calum, 44, revealed she had been diagnosed with colon cancer that has spread to her liver.
Captioning her post, Angie wrote: ‘Trying to fake a smile, didn’t realise how sick I was, couldn’t wait so in Switzerland for chemo with Mistletoe, a sincere heartfelt thank you to you my Homies for your kindness ❤️❤️.’
Mistletoe therapy – so called because it uses extracts from the European mistletoe plant – is an alternative cancer treatment that has been used in Europe for decades, particularly in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Angie Best shared an emotional update from her hospital bed on Thursday as she undergoes unusual ‘mistletoe’ chemotherapy treatment following her recent cancer diagnosis
Some practitioners believe it can stimulate the immune system and improve quality of life for cancer patients, though its effectiveness remains debated in mainstream medicine.
It is not a standard, approved cancer treatment on the NHS, as robust evidence of its effectiveness as a cure is considered inconclusive by major UK cancer bodies.
It can be used alongside chemotherapy, which is what Angie is doing.
Her post attracted lots of support from fans and famous friends, with her TV personality son Calum writing: ‘You are some woman and I love you so much, we got this ❤️❤️❤️.’
Television presenter Jenny Powell added: ‘Sending you all positive and healing vibes right now. Hope you can play some 528 frequencies, much love ❤️’ while model Paul Sculfor commented: ‘Wishing you strength and wellness.’
Angie also showed her scepticism at traditional cancer treatment methods as she reposted a meme branded ‘the cancer scam’.
The unfounded information read: ‘So you’re telling me they spend $200 billion every single year on cancer research and the only thing to show for it is a 75 percent increase in cancer deaths since the 1990s?’
Mistletoe therapy – so called because it uses extracts from the European mistletoe plant – is an alternative cancer treatment that has been used in Europe for decades
Angie also showed her scepticism at traditional cancer treatment methods as she reposted a meme branded ‘the cancer scam’
Angie’s update comes after Calum revealed his mother’s diagnosis in a devastating video posted to social media earlier this month.
In the clip, the clearly distressed star said: ‘A few weeks ago, my beautiful, wonderful mum was diagnosed with cancer. For as long as I can remember, she 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.’
Calum admitted he ‘hasn’t cried in years’ but has been on an ’emotional rollercoaster’ since his mother’s diagnosis.
‘My mum has been diagnosed with colon cancer that has spread to her liver,’ he explained. ‘To move forward, we need access to specialist care and professionals who can offer the right treatment.
‘This is incredibly hard for me to say, but financially, I can’t carry this on my own.’
The reality star set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of his mother’s specialist treatment, saying: ‘Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us access the specialists, treatment and care my mum needs during this time.’
In her own message shared alongside Calum’s announcement, Angie vowed she is ‘ready to fight’ the disease.
She wrote: ‘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 met Manchester United and Northern Ireland legend George Best at a dinner party in Los Angeles in 1975 when he was signing to play for the Los Angeles Aztecs.
It was reportedly ‘love at first sight’ and they moved to London together in 1976.
When Angie returned to Los Angeles, George followed her and persuaded her to marry him. They wed on 24 January 1976 and went on to have son Calum in 1981.
However, the couple separated the following year and divorced in 1986, following George’s well-documented problems with alcohol abuse and domestic violence.
Angie’s update comes after Calum revealed his mother’s diagnosis in a devastating video Pictured: Angie and George Best holding son, Calum at Heathrow Airport
George Best died in 2005 at the age of 59 from multiple organ failure as a result of his alcoholism.
Bowel cancer affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum. Symptoms include bleeding from the bottom, blood in stools, a change in bowel habits lasting three weeks or more, unexplained weight loss, extreme tiredness and stomach pain or a lump in the tummy.
According to Bowel Cancer UK, more than 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. It affects around 40 per 100,000 adults per year in the US, according to the National Cancer Institute.
More than nine out of ten people with stage 1 bowel cancer survive five years or more after their diagnosis, though the majority of cases are diagnosed at later stages when the disease has already spread.
