George H.W. Bush Could Leave Hospital Today, Son Says
George H.W. Bush may be leaving the hospital for home soon, according to his spokesman. The former president has spent a little over one month in the hospital after being diagnosed with bronchitis and suffering complications during his recovery.
"We are hopeful that the president can be discharged this coming week, but we're still taking everything one day at a time," spokesman Jim McGrath said in an email to Reuters.
Bush's son Jeb, the former Florida governor, speculated that his father could be released as soon as Monday, TCPalm.com reported. Doctors are being very cautious, though, given Bush's perilous condition. He was admitted to the hospital on November 23 for bronchitis but transferred to intensive care not long after developing a fever.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
His health has been on the decline in recent years due to lower-body Parkinsonism, which causes a loss of balance and often requires the use of wheelchairs. Bush has used a wheelchair for over one year, reports state.
The 88-year-old former president's condition has caused great concern for his family and the nation. However, hospital officials have stated that Bush has maintained a positive attitude throughout his stay, even "cheering on" his beloved Texas football teams and receiving a special phone call from the Oak Ridge Boys, WTVR.com reported.
The media, following every development, accidentally reported that Bush had died while in the hospital. WBAP radio station in Texas sent out an email reading, "The Death of a President: George H.W. Bush. Our nation's 41st president, George H.W. Bush has passed away in Houston."
Bush, however, was still very much alive, and the radio station was forced to issue another email apologizing for the error.
"The radio station creates quick obituaries for famous people before they die so that they could be released shortly after they die. The news team heard that Bush had been transferred to the ICU, so they prepared the obituary in case he passed away, but an error with the email system caused the blast to be sent to the station's email subscribers," Travellers Today explained.
Bush jokingly responded that everyone should "please put the harps back in the closet."
