Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman Says He's on His Way to a 'Full Recovery' After Stroke
Matt Rourke/AP/Shutterstock From left: John Fetterman and Gisele Fetterman
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. (and current candidate for Senate) John Fetterman says he is on the road to "a full recovery" after suffering a stroke over the weekend — just days ahead of the state's Democratic US Senate primary, which he is favored to win.
Fetterman, 52, recounted in a statement and video posted to Twitter how he "wasn't feeling well" on Friday, and went to the hospital after his wife, Gisele, recognized his symptoms as being stroke-related.
On Friday, I wasn’t feeling well, so I went to the hospital to get checked out.
I didn’t want to go – I didn’t think I had to – but @giselefetterman insisted, and as usual, she was right.
The good news is I’m feeling much better + I’m well on my way to a full recovery. pic.twitter.com/WQ5X6QgQen— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) May 15, 2022
"It was on Friday, I just wasn't feeling very well, so I decided, you know what? I need to get checked out," Fetterman said in the video before his wife interjected: "I made you get checked out."
" 'Cause I was right, as always," Gisele, 40, joked in the video.
In a later video published on Sunday, Gisele recounted what had happened to her husband.
My full statement here. 👇 pic.twitter.com/1rRXDMBiu0
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) May 15, 2022
"John had a stroke that was caused by a clot from his heart being in an irregular rhythm for too long," she said. "Fortunately, the amazing doctors here were able to completely clear the clot and entirely reverse the stroke. They also got his heart under control."
RELATED: Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen Suffers 'Minor Stroke' Onstage While Giving Speech
She continued: "The good news is he's felling much better and the doctors say he's well on his way to a full recovery."
Gisele added that the doctors are keeping Fetterman at Lancaster General Hospital for observation so that "he'll be able to get back on the [campaign] trail."
In a full statement, Fetterman said he did not suffer any cognitive damage and that is campaign "isn't slowing down one bit." He added that his campaign is "still on track" to win the primary on Tuesday.
RELATED: At Home with Pennsylvania's Headline-Making Second Couple as They Prepare Their Next Big Campaign
Fetterman began his political career as the mayor of Braddock, PA, spearheading a renaissance of the former steel town, a blue-collar area that experienced significant decline in the late 20th century.
The former small-town mayor, youth mentor and GED teacher became part of the national conversation as lieutenant governor of a headline-making swing state. A prominent Pennsylvania Democrat, he was a major voice during former President Donald Trump's baseless quest to overturn the November election.
In February 2021, he announced he would be seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate in a widely-watched race in the state following the retirement of incumbent Pat Toomey, a Republican.
In a 2021 interview with PEOPLE, Fetterman credited Gisele and their three children with helping him navigate political life.
"I can count myself very lucky to have a wonderful partner in Gisele," he said.