Ex-President George H.W. Bush Spends Christmas In Hospital In Houston
Former United States President George H.W. Bush spent Christmas in the hospital.
The 88-year-old remains under the supervision of the doctors at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, where he was first admitted in November to receive treatment for a severe cough.
Bush spent the holiday with his wife, Barbara, at his side along with other family members who shared a Christmas dinner with the former president, according to The Associated Press. Jim McGrath, spokesperson for Bush, said the former president's son, Neil, and his wife along with a few grandchildren visited Bush on Christmas.
President Bush was taken to the hospital the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 23. His severe cough led to a bronchitis scare, which severely threatened his health and raised a concern among doctors who wanted to make sure he received proper treatment. Bush's cough has kept him in and out of the hospital for close to two months but he has been staying in the hospital since he was officially admitted after Thanksgiving.
McGrath commented that the former president recently developed a fever that caused him to stay at the hospital over the Christmas holiday.
"His doctors feel he should build up his energy before going home," read a statement by hospital spokesperson George Kovacik from this past weekend, according to Reuters.
The lingering cough has reportedly diminished slightly and Bush received physical therapy to keep up his strength while he battles the sickness. A date of discharge has not been released.
Bush and his wife spend winter in Houston and live at their home in Kennebunkport, Maine, during the summer.
George Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st president of the United States serving from 1989-1993. He also served as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, and served two terms as vice president under Ronald Regan from 1981 to 1989.
