Late update by TPM Staff: The office of George H. W. Bush released a statement saying the former president suffered a broken cervical vertebrae and is fair condition. He does not appear to have suffered any injuries to the spinal cord itself and has “normal use of his limbs.” Here is the full statement:
President Bush 41 remains hospitalized in fair condition at Maine Medical Center in Portland following a fall yesterday at his home in Kennebunkport in which he fractured his C2 vertebrae. The president never lost consciousness, and the injury he sustained neither impinged on his spine nor resulted in any neurological deficits. He continues to have normal use of his limbs.
The plan is to let this injury heal on its own without surgery. President Bush will remain at Maine Medical Center to be fitted for a brace to immobilize the injured area, to continue physical therapy, and for further evaluation.
We do not discuss timelines for discharge, but do not believe this will be a prolonged recovery period at MMC.
Finally, the attending physician, Dr. William D’Angelo, will conduct a media briefing today at 3 p.m. EST outside the Dana Center at MMC to outline President Bush’s injury and recovery.
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KENNEBUNKPORT, Maine (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush, at 91 the oldest living former president, was being treated at a hospital early Thursday for a broken bone in his neck suffered in a fall.
Bush, the 41st U.S. president, fell on Wednesday at his summer home in Kennebunkport but was doing OK and was wearing a neck brace, a Bush spokesman said.
“41 fell at home in Maine today and broke a bone in his neck,” spokesman Jim McGrath tweeted on Wednesday night. “His condition is stable — he is fine — but he’ll be in a neck brace.”
Bush was being treated at Portland’s Maine Medical Center, where a children’s hospital is named for his wife. The medical center confirmed his condition was stable but said it was premature to speculate about when he’ll be released. It said he would be there at least overnight.
Bush, who has a form of Parkinson’s disease and uses a motorized scooter or a wheelchair for mobility, has suffered other recent health setbacks.
He was hospitalized in Houston in December for about a week for shortness of breath. He spent Christmas 2012 in intensive care at the same Houston hospital for a bronchitis-related cough and other issues.
Bush, a Republican, served two terms as Ronald Reagan’s vice president before being elected president in 1988. After one term, highlighted by the success of the 1991 Gulf War in Kuwait, he lost to Democrat Bill Clinton amid voters’ concerns about the economy.
Bush, the father of Republican former President George W. Bush, was a naval aviator in World War II and was shot down over the Pacific. He also was a former U.S. ambassador to China and a CIA director.
He has skydived on at least three of his birthdays since leaving the White House. He celebrated his 90th birthday by making a tandem parachute jump near his Kennebunkport home. He celebrated a low-key 91st birthday with his family there.
During the winter, Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush, live in Houston.
Another Bush son, Republican former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, is running for president in 2016.
On a human level I feel sorry for the man. Soon he’ll die and the hagiography will begin. Before that starts someone needs to finally explore the “allegations” that he and Bill Casey committed treason in 1980 by promising the Iranians arms in exchange for keeping the embassy hostages until after the election of Ronald Reagan. Over the weekend someone tried to get Jimmy Carter to comment on why the hostages were released minutes after Reagan was sworn in but he refused. It seems now to be an unspoken part of the history of American Iranian relations but it needs to see the light of day.
I would also like to know what he was doing in Dallas, Tx, the day JFK was killed and why he denied it for years (only when Barbara Bush wrote her book did it come out, by mistake).
I would also like to know why he was one the first people the CIA notified after the assassinaion, even though for years he maintained it was a different George Bush, yeah right.
My favorite person alive who was president. Feel better soon Pappy.