TV personality Gemma Collins revealed this has been ‘the toughest week’ of her life after her mum, Joan, was hospitalised.
She shared a snap of her hugging her mum, who was wrapped in blankets and lying in a hospital bed.
Joan, 81, is ‘really struggling’ as she fights off pneumonia after several years of concerning health updates.
In May last year, Joan was rushed to hospital after she ‘stopped breathing’ following a breast cancer diagnosis and mystery illness the year before.
At the time, Gemma, 44, was warned to ‘prepare for the worst’ but thankfully her mum pulled through.
Sharing this latest update, the Towie star wrote on Instagram: ‘This week has been the toughest week of my life I didn’t know if I was coming or going and still don’t my mum is really unwell and I just want to thank the NHS doctors and nurses at BROOMFIELD HOSPITAL CHELMSFORD HOSPITAL FOR looking after mum so well’.
She continued: ‘Mum has phenomena and is really struggling please if you believe in prayer like me please 🙏🏻 say a prayer for mum to get well asap ♥️
‘Thank you to all my closest for being there for me and for everyone who has reached out to higher powers to help mum you know who you are ♥️ Also all the friends and family who have visited and keep bringing the love for mum ♥️.’
Pneumonia is a type of chest infection which impacts the air sacs in the lungs and makes it harder to breathe.
Gemma added that she and her mum have ‘always have loved Madonna’ so playing her music was ‘getting me through atm giving me a lift’.
Friends sent well wishes in the comments, including from close friends Jedward who wrote: ‘Happy we got to say some healing prayers together with her ❤️she’s going to get through this she’s a fighter.’
‘Sending love gorgeous ❤️,’ added Ashley Roberts as Chloe Sims said: ‘Thinking of you & your family, sending Joan our prayers & love 🙏🏻🙏🏻💖💖.’
The mother-daughter duo are incredibly close, and Gemma has been sharing updates about her mum’s health on her social media.
She previously said things were ‘extremely tough’ after her mum’s breast cancer diagnosis, which prompted Gemma to get screened.
Joan did not tell Gemma about the diagnosis until she got the all clear, revealing the truth over the phone in the back of a taxi.
‘I was like, “Are you all right, mum? Where are you?” – as we say every day, ten times a day,’ she revealed to The Sun previously.
‘She said, “Ah I didn’t want to tell you, but I’ve had a lump in my breast.” I was like, “What?”, and she said, “But it’s fine I’ve got the all-clear”. I was like, “Oh, my God. Why didn’t you tell me?”
At the time, Gemma urged other women to check themselves for lumps and to seek help via the NHS if they have any worries.
Last year, Joan had been rushed into intensive care after she stopped breathing with paramedics preparing for the worst.
‘‘It’s been extremely tough but she is stable now’ the GC revealed but confirmed her mum was on the mend.
She is yet to issue any updates on Joan’s health since the pneumonia hospitalisation but did share a video showing her friends had sent round food.
Gemma also posted a snap of one half of Jedward sat eating with the Golden Girls theme song Thank You For Being A Friend playing in the background.
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