Wife says Fetterman’s doctors ‘really impressed’ with his progress

by Maureen Breslin - 06/02/22 8:11 AM ET

In this photo provided by campaign staffer Bobby Maggio, Pennsylvania Lt. Governor and Democratic Party candidate for a U.S. Senate John Fetterman fills out his emergency absentee ballot for the Pennsylvania primary election in Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Pa, on Election Day, Tuesday, May, 17, 2022. Fetterman remained in the hospital after suffering a stroke right before the weekend. (Bobby Maggio via AP)

Pennsylvania Democratic Senate nominee John Fetterman’s wife, Gisele Fetterman, said in a new interview that doctors are “very happy with how he is healing” from his stroke.

“The neurologists, they were really impressed with the progress. Cognitively, he’s perfect and well on his way to a full recovery,” Gisele Fetterman told Politico. “Everything went well with the cardiologists. His heart is looking good. Pacemaker is working as it’s supposed to.”

She added, however, that the doctors at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital “want him to continue to rest.”

Gisele Fetterman told the news outlet that doctors are not yet sure when it will be safe for her husband to return to the campaign trail, noting that “the campaign will have an announcement for that soon.”

John Fetterman suffers from a heart condition known as atrial fibrillation, which doctors attribute as the cause of his stroke. A pacemaker with a defibrillator was implanted into his heart following the stroke.

“The heart’s working great. The pacemaker helps regulate the A-fib,” Gisele Fetterman, who has taken on the role of speaking for her husband to the press and updating the public on his condition, said to Politico.

John Fetterman, the current Pennsylvania lieutenant governor, suffered the stroke just before the Pennsylvania Democratic Senate primary election last month. He defeated Rep. Conor Lamb (R-Pa.) in the primary and was then congratulated by President Biden.

It’s currently still unclear whom he will face in November.

Pennsylvania officials last week officially ordered a recount in the neck-and-neck Republican Senate primary election between Mehmet Oz and Dave McCormick, who are separated by 902 votes, or 0.1 percentage points. Under state law, a recount is triggered if two candidates are separated by 0.5 percentage points or fewer.