Senator Fetterman's Latest Health Scare
Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman was admitted to a Pittsburgh hospital on Thursday after a serious health episode caused him to fall outside his home. The incident occurred in the early morning, with the Democrat experiencing ventricular fibrillation – a serious heart rhythm disturbance – that left him feeling light-headed before the fall.
Humorous Response and Medical Details
Despite sustaining facial injuries, Fetterman maintained his characteristic humour in an official statement released by his office. "If you thought my face looked bad before, wait until you see it now!" the senator quipped, suggesting he was in good spirits following the incident.
Medical staff confirmed the 56-year-old politician suffered minor facial injuries from the fall. His press secretary confirmed Fetterman chose to remain in hospital voluntarily to allow doctors to fine-tune his treatment regimen. The senator expressed gratitude towards the emergency medical technicians, doctors and nurses providing his care.
Pattern of Health Challenges
This represents the latest in a series of health issues for Fetterman since he joined the Senate in 2023. In May 2022, just days before winning Pennsylvania's Democratic primary, he suffered a serious stroke caused by a blood clot stemming from atrial fibrillation – a condition related to Thursday's ventricular fibrillation episode.
His recovery from the stroke has been gradual, leaving him with ongoing auditory-processing difficulties that require him to use closed captioning technology during conversations and Senate hearings. Earlier in February 2023, he was treated for light-headedness, though doctors ruled out another stroke. Later that same month, he checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for clinical depression, where he remained for approximately six weeks.
Political Implications and Voting Record
The senator's health struggles have coincided with increasing political isolation from his Democratic colleagues. In September, Fetterman became the only Democrat to vote for a Republican-led continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown, drawing criticism from within his own caucus.
His attendance record has also raised concerns among observers. According to a GovTrack analysis covering February 2023 to February 2025, Fetterman missed approximately 21% of roll-call votes, making him the fourth-most-absent senator during that period.
Despite these challenges, Fetterman has been vocal about his mental health struggles, advocating for greater awareness and understanding of mental health conditions across the political spectrum.
