Nobody wants to suffer from a stroke. They are debilitating, hard to control, and can lead to permanent brain damage for the people who have them. That’s why it’s a pretty big deal when a major Democrat Senator collapses from one right in front of a large crowd.
Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen fell victim to a stroke while delivering a speech in Western Maryland over the weekend.
Since the collapse, Senator Hollen took to twitter to announce his recovery, saying, “This weekend, after feeling lightheaded while delivering a speech, I sought medical attention at the recommendation of the Attending Physician. I’m feeling much better but will follow doctors’ orders and curtail my schedule for the next few days.”
In his official statement the 63 year old Senator made a point to emphasize that doctors do not expect any long-term ramifications from the stroke. Still they ordered him to remain under observation for a few extra days to be sure.
Senator Van Hollen has now become the 3rd significant Democrat in politics to suffer from a stroke this year alone. Also this weekend Pennsylvania Lt Governor John Fetterman, who is also the frontrunner for a Senate seat, revealed he too had a similar incident.
“I hadn’t been feeling well, but was so focused on the campaign that I ignored the signs and just kept going,” Fetterman said in a statement. “On Friday it finally caught up with me. I had a stroke that was caused by a clot from my heart being in an A-fib rhythm for too long.”
The two are joined by New Mexico Democrat Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who suffered a stroke earlier this year due to a tear in the 49-year-old lawmaker’s vertebral artery.
Health is a major consideration for voting Americans for a very good reason. In many states, if a Senator dies or is incapacitated, it falls on the Governor to select someone to fill the seat, leading to unelected politicians holding significant seats of power.
Do you think more politicians should be willing to step down after major health scares? Would you feel more comfortable knowing your leaders weren’t at risk of succumbing to conditions like strokes?
