OAN Roy Francis
UPDATED 9:53 AM – Saturday, April 1, 2023
Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday, after over a month and a half.
Fetterman (D-Pa.) was admitted into the medical center on February 15th where he was being treated for depression. Before his admittance to the hospital, staffers said that he had not been his usual self for weeks, and that he had been withdrawn, and was disinterested in his usual activities.
The senator had suffered a stroke in May 2022, while running his campaign. He had experienced side effect such as “auditory processing disorder.” However, his doctors said that he had “no work restrictions” and can fully perform his duties.
The Democrat had been known to use close captioning after his stroke while performing his duties due to his limited auditory processing capacity.
He had defeated Republican Mehmet Oz in the midterm elections, and began his six-year Senate term in January. However, after only a month he checked himself into Walter Reed for treatment of severe depression.
During his stay at the hospital, his staffers said that Fetterman had been receiving daily in-person briefings. He had also been issuing statements and sponsoring legislations during his stay. Fetterman had ultimately missed 53 of the 64 Senate roll calls in the past two months due to his hospitalization.
After his release from the hospital, his office said that he was in remission after his treatment, and has gone back to Braddock, Pennsylvania.
“I am so happy to be home. I’m excited to be the father and husband I want to be, and the senator Pennsylvania deserves. Pennsylvanians have always had my back, and I will always have theirs,” Fetterman said. “I am extremely grateful to the incredible team at Walter Reed. The care they provided changed my life. I will have more to say about this soon, but for now I want everyone to know that depression is treatable, and treatment works. This isn’t about politics — right now there are people who are suffering with depression in red counties and blue counties. If you need help, please get help.”
The Democrat is expected to return to the Senate on April 17th.
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