Hartson still critical but stable

The doctors say that critically-ill former footballer John Hartson remains in a stable condition. The 34-year-old was told he had testicular cancer just over a week ago and doctors had also found that the disease had spread to his brain and lungs. He had surgery on Tuesday to relieve pressure on his brain and was reported to have resumed radiotherapy treatment on Friday. His family said they were overwhelmed by the messages of support for the ex-Wales, Arsenal and Celtic striker. On Friday, Hartson was seen to have been transferred from Morriston Hospital in Swansea to the city's Singleton Hospital to receive radiotherapy to treat the disease. But the player who is a father-of-three has since returned to Morriston's intensive care unit. In a statement, his family said that they want to acknowledge the outstanding care and skill that has been given to John by the medical and nursing staff at both Morriston and Singleton Hospitals. They also want to acknowledge the professionalism of the ambulance service. The family continues to ask for John's privacy and that of his family and the many hundreds of other patients at the hospital to be respected. They said that they continue to be overwhelmed by the many thousands of messages of support and goodwill that continue to come in from football supporters, ordinary people, clubs, and sporting figures from around the world.