ROB GILLIES
Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has been admitted to a hospital and is believed to have a tumor in his abdomen, health officials said Wednesday.
Dr. Rueben Devlin from Humber Regional Hospital said Ford had been complaining of abdominal pains and that an examination has resulted in a working diagnosis of a tumor.
He said Ford had been suffering from stomach pains for at least three months and they had worsened in the last 24 hours.
“It became unbearable for him,” he said.
Ford, 45, became an international celebrity last year after he acknowledged using crack in a “drunken stupor” following months of denials. The mayor returned to work in June after a rehab stint for drug and alcohol abuse and is running for re-election on Oct. 27.
Devlin said they need to determine what type of tumor it is by doing a biopsy. He said he could not say how long Ford will be in the hospital.
Devlin said the CT scan is “very definitive for the tumor” but a “definitive diagnosis” is still to come.
The Toronto Sun reported that Ford was hospitalized in 2009 for a tumor on his appendix, leading to its removal along with part of his colon. Doug Ford Sr., the mayor’s farther, died of colon cancer in 2006.
Councilor Doug Ford, the mayor’s brother and campaign manager, said Rob is in good spirits.
Doug Ford sidestepped questions about the mayoral race, saying he would speak about the campaign on Thursday. Although campaigning has been underway for months, the official deadline for candidates to sign up is Friday. That leaves time for Doug Ford, a city councilor, to step in for his brother, a possibility some have long speculated about.
Doug deflected a question about Rob’s previous health issues.
Doug said Rob complained of stomach pain while he had breakfast with Rob.
“He said his stomach was bothering him. He went to the doctor’s and the doctor sent him over to Humber,” Doug Ford said.
Dennis Morris, Ford’s lawyer and a family friend, said he spoke to the mayor on Tuesday and he didn’t mention any abdominal pain. Ford appeared well during a debate on Tuesday night.
The mayor has steadfastly refused to step down since reports emerged of a video of him smoking crack.
Olivia Chow, who is running to replace Ford, tweeted that her thoughts and hopes are with Ford and his family for good news in the days ahead. John Tory, considered the front runner in the race, wished Ford a speedy recovery.
“My thoughts are with Mayor Ford, Renata, their children and the entire Ford family this evening,” Tory said in a statement.
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