On his return to Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t overlook bringing his mother onto the field. Witnessing CR7 score a goal in the first match, Maria Dolores Aveiro couldn’t contain her emotions and tears welled up. The woman who gave birth to the best player in the world has endured countless hardships in the past, and she rightfully deserves to relish happiness with her son as she grows older.

Ronaldo conquered all difficulties to move forward, thanks to the example set by his family members. His mother, Maria Dolores Espírito Santo Aveiro, was born on December 31, 1954, in the fishing port of Câmara de Lobos, one of the poorest areas of Madeira island. People here make a living year-round from fishing, and in Dolores’ memories, her childhood was a series of days living in hardship on earth.

“What kind of person is my grandmother, Mom?” Ronaldo must have asked that question, and it was difficult for Dolores herself to give a complete answer. Dolores’ memories of her mother are only vague fragments because she lost her mother when she was only 5 years old. Ronaldo’s grandmother bid farewell to this world at the age of 37 due to a heart attack, leaving behind a family of 5 children and a responsible husband.

Ronaldo’s grandfather, Viveiro, had almost become financially stable. Instead of trying to raise all five children, he only gave love to one child. The remaining four people, including Ms. Dolores, were sent to a local convent. Having to live far from her family made little Dolores cry every night. The nuns couldn’t stand the sentimental sight, and they often dragged Dolores out to speak to her.

“I tried to escape from there twice but failed,” she recalled. The monastery that adopted Dolores always classified her as a group of children with rebellious behavior and abnormal minds. When Dolores was 9 years old, she was returned to her family. At this time, Mr. Viveiro remarried a woman who also had five children of her own and was also pregnant with another child.

Dolores’ family situation at that time was extremely bad. They had no electricity or clean water for daily use. Every day that passes is a day when Dolores has to live in hell on earth. She was abused and beaten by her father and stepmother. Mr. Viveiro wanted to throw his daughter into a center for mentally disabled children. The center director refused to accept the scolding: Why do you act so foolishly, your daughter is completely normal.

Dolores’s education did not last long, just like her son Ronaldo later. At the age of 13, Mr. Viveiro forced his daughter to drop out of school to stay home and help the family. Every day, Dolores has to wake up at 5 a.m. to weave baskets to sell at the market. All the money she had saved was taken by the stepmother, and then… disappeared. Fed up with a humiliating life, Dolores always wanted to find a way out.

Ronaldo is light

For Mrs. Dolores, the first way out was named José Dinis Aveiro. She got married when she was 18 years old and had 3 children before her 22nd birthday. The Aveiro family decided not to have any more children when suddenly their plans “broke down.” The day she knew she was carrying a baby who would later become Cristiano Ronaldo, Dolores did not want the baby to be born.

Initially, Dolores went to the doctor to ask about the abortion procedure. The doctor said the fetus was too big and abortion could seriously affect her health. The situation forced her to reluctantly give birth to her fourth child. Cristiano Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985, with the name “Ronaldo” named after US President Ronald Reagan. The older siblings in the family started working to earn money from a young age, helping the youngest brother grow up in the love of his mother and football.

No measure can calculate the love Mrs. Dolores has for Ronaldo, the child she almost rejected. When CR7 was 14 years old, she received an invitation to a parents’ meeting from the school with an expulsion notice. The homeroom teacher said Ronaldo’s behavior was unacceptable. He dared to pick up a chair and throw it at the teacher, and it became a joke for the whole school.

“Your child won’t be able to do anything with this attitude towards studying,” the other teacher harshly criticized Dolores. Faced with those insults, Ronaldo’s mother remained silent; But she didn’t scold her son even a single word when CR7 came home. Dolores believed Ronaldo and listened to everything he said, especially when CR7 said he wanted to drop out of school to pursue a football career.

Ronaldo can focus wholeheartedly on competing anywhere in the world because Dolores always takes care of everything at home. During CR7’s time playing for Real Madrid, Mrs. Dolores came to stay with him, fed Ronaldo, and went to school with him every day. Ronaldo’s mother is also a direct influence on his personal life. CR7 can date singers and models, but bringing them to live together is another story. Irina Shayk once broke up with Ronaldo after 5 years of dating just because his mother did not want them to get married.

As CR7 gradually entered the final years of his career, Dolores’ health was no longer the same. Ronaldo’s mother has been treated for breast cancer twice, and she also had surgery after a stroke last year. The strength and years of overcoming difficulties in the past did not allow this woman to fall. She must continue to live to be a strong supporter for Ronaldo like she has been for the past two decades.

Mother’s love

When Ronaldo was young, Dolores had to be both father and mother in the house. Mr. José Dinis Aveiro used all the money he earned on alcohol and died of cirrhosis in 2005. All of Ronaldo’s family’s savings before he became famous were managed by Dolores alone. After her husband passed away, she found new love with a man around her age named José Andrade. Mr. Andrade worked as a police officer in Portugal, then became a gardener in his old age.

At first, Dolores hid the fact that Ronaldo had a new lover. They only went public after dating for nearly a year and decided to live together forever. Mr. Andrade is always by Ronaldo’s mother’s side like a shadow, taking care of the children with her and taking them to school every day. They lived together but did not get married because he did not want to be known for “taking advantage” of Ronaldo’s family. CR7 also considers him a family member, and photos of Mr. Andrade often appear next to him on social networks.