Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman voluntarily checked himself into a hospital this week to receive treatment for clinical depression.
Fetterman's decision to focus on his mental health at this time was explained on Thursday via a statement from Chief of Staff Adam Jentleson in which he said, "On Monday, John was evaluated by Dr. Brian P. Monahan, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress. Yesterday, Dr. Monahan recommended inpatient care at Walter Reed. John agreed, and he is receiving treatment on a voluntary basis."
Fetterman's wife, Gisele, tweeted a statement of her own on Thursday saying "This is a difficult time for our family, so please respect our privacy. For us, the kids come first."
"After what he's been through in the past year, there's probably no one who wanted to talk about his own health less than John," Mrs.Fetterman furthered on Twitter. "I'm so proud of him for asking for help and getting the care he needs."
In the official statement from Fetterman's Chief of Staff, it's mentioned that the senator has "experienced depression off and on throughout his life," but that it wasn't until recent weeks that his condition became severe.
Last week, Fetterman was treated for a different issue when he experienced a bout of dizziness and was examined by George Washington University hospital over the course of a two-day stay to rule out another possible stroke, according to his office.
"Fetterman is FAR from the first senator do this. But he's the first to have the stones to announce it," tweeted veteran and author Jason Kander. "A stroke is obviously traumatic and I'm glad he's addressing the understandable effect on his mental health too. He's the real deal. This is awesome leadership."
