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Former President George H.W. Bush has been taken to a hospital in Houston, Texas as a precaution after experiencing shortness of breath, according to a statement from his office. Bush, 90, arrived at Houston Methodist Hospital Tuesday evening via ambulance. He will be held for observation and testing to ensure that the symptoms are not an indication of anything more serious.
The former president’s chief of staff, Jean Becker, expressed confidence that the former president would be released in good health and would be home in a few days. In a statement released late Tuesday, White House spokesman Eric Schultz stated that President Obama was made aware of Bush’s hospitalization and that the President and the First Lady sent their good wishes to the family.
This is not the first time the former president has been treated at this particular hospital. Bush previously spent about two months in the facility after treatment for a bronchitis-related cough and other health issues. He has experienced serious health issues several times in the past. During his time as president, he was hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat and was diagnosed with Graves Disease, a thyroid condition.
In recent years, he has used a motorized scooter or wheelchair for mobility due to complications from a form of Parkinson’s disease. However, that has not stopped him from skydiving on several of his past birthdays, most recently his 90th birthday when he completed a tandem parachute jump. In November, he appeared with his son, former President George W. Bush, at an event at Texas A&M University and served as the coin toss captain for the Houston Texans at a game honoring the U.S. Armed Forces.
Prior to becoming the 41st president, the elder Bush served two terms as Ronald Reagan’s vice president. He also served as a naval aviator in World War II, is a former U.S. ambassador to China, and served as the Director of the CIA. These days, he lives with his wife, Barbara, in Kennebunkport, Maine in the summers and in Houston during the winter.
