Joan Collins, Gemma Collins’ mother, has been brought to the hospital with an unknown ailment.
On Wednesday, the 42-year-old reality star took to social media to inform her followers that her mother was ill and to encourage them to ‘love their own parents hard’.
TOWIE actress Gemma also expressed gratitude to the medical personnel at the Queen’s Hospital in Romford for caring for Joan, 67.
Gemma commented on social media about her loving mother, ‘Such a terrible time when Mom arrived to hospital.
‘Thank you Queen’s Hospital Romford for everything you do. ‘Love your parents as much as you possibly can.’
Joan’s celebrity buddies were quick to wish her well, with Jedward writing beneath her photo, ‘Your mum is the most lovely and compassionate person ever – sending healing energy,’ while Jess Wright left a string of heart emojis.
Gemma didn’t specify what had happened to her mom but back in March, said she was undergoing a possibly life-saving gene test after Joan was diagnosed with breast cancer which was detected ‘in the nick of time’.
Joan opted not to inform Gemma about the dreadful illness until she had received the all-clear, but the shock of learning about her mother’s experience compelled her to act to protect herself.
The TV celebrity had already lost a family member to the cancer and was not willing to risk her own health.
Describing the moment her mum opened up about her breast cancer, Gemma told The Sun: ‘It was over the phone. I was in the back of a taxi in London and I was like, “Are you all right, mum? Where are you?” – as we say every day, ten times a day.
‘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?”
Gemma was filming Diva Forever at the time, so her mother opted not to notify her about the diagnosis for fear of her breaking down.
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‘Thank God she got it checked and thank God they caught it in the nick of time,’ the star concluded, before adding she’d ‘love’ to get a BRCA test for ‘peace of mind’.
The BRCA gene test examines DNA to determine the likelihood of developing breast cancer in the future.
If a patient has a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, they have a 70% risk of having breast cancer before the age of 80.
Gemma encouraged other ladies to examine themselves for lumps and get advice from the NHS if they are concerned.
