SPECULATION is rife on social media as to whether ex-Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, his wife Sara Carbonero, or both, have been 'all-cleared' from their respective serious illnesses which saw them grappling their way through summer.
In May, just a month before his 38th birthday, Iker – who is now with FC Oporto – collapsed with a heart attack whilst training and was rushed to hospital, where he was diagnosed with a myocardial infarction, or narrowing of the arteries.
Days after he had stents fitted and was pronounced out of danger, reporter Sara, 35, revealed she had been diagnosed with early-stage ovarian cancer and needed surgery.
A month after her operation, she received the welcome news that the cancer had been completely removed and that, after the corresponding follow-up treatment, she would be 'fully cured', according to her medical report.
Since then, other than reflections on the precious nature of life and posts about their two young sons, and a few photographs from the couple's summer split between their native villages in central Spain, little has been revealed about how either are coping.
Iker is determined he will not retire from football until it is forced upon him, and is due for tests in December which will tell him whether or not he is likely to go back into play.
Nothing else is known about his wife's battle, and fans are becoming concerned because photographs on her Instagram account – where she is very active – are coming in fits and starts and are usually several years old.
One of these shows her sitting on a beach in Brazil drinking from a green coconut, but turns out to be from 2011.
But a recent photograph the model and presenter published showed one of her sons holding a huge bunch of flowers she had just received, and her close friend and fellow journalist Isabel Jiménez has responded to it with: “I knew there'd be no need to wait. There's lots to celebrate!”
Around the same time, Iker posted a picture of himself with the simple one-line caption: “A great day to be feeling happy.”
Fans are now wondering whether Sara has had some more good news about her health, or if she has finished her treatment.
The nature of this has not been revealed, but even for early-stage ovarian cancer, would normally involve hormone drugs, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Some followers have raised concerns about how Sara is rarely shown close-up in her own pictures, unless she is covered up, such as when she took a selfie in a Hallowe'en mask, and have urged her 'not to stay hidden' because 'the whole of Spain is with her'.
Floods of well wishes from fans hit every one of her Instagram shots, calling her an 'example for Spain' – even though she and Iker currently live in Oporto, Portugal – and calling for her to 'stay strong'.
