Snooker legend Willie Thorne has been put in a coma after being treated for leukaemia.
The 66-year-old has been battling cancer since March but his condition began to rapidly deteriorate while he was being treated in Spain.
The English former professional began suffering respiratory failure while receiving treatment and was rushed to hospital last week due to very low blood pressure.
His carer Julie O'Neill wrote on his fundraising page: "The doctor called me yesterday to inform me that on Sunday Willie went into respiratory failure and he is now in an induced coma and mechanical ventilation.”
"We are all hoping that the treatments the hospital is giving him while in this induced coma will help to improve his overall condition and at some point enable him to breathe on his own and be brought out of this coma."
O'Neill wrote last month that Thorne had sepsis throughout his body and was unable to move his arms or legs, but since then his condition had appeared to improve.
Thorne turned professional in 1975 and won one ranking title as well as reaching the World Snooker Championship quarter-finals in 1982 and 1986.
He is also known in the UK as a snooker commentator.
