George H.W. Bush Recovering From Neck Injury: Jenna Bush Hager Talks About "Gamps," New Statement Released

The 91-year-old, the oldest living former U.S. president, was hospitalized after breaking a bone in his neck while suffering a fall at his home in Kennebumkport, Maine on Wednesday

By Corinne Heller Jul 16, 2015 5:53 PMTags
President George H.W. Bush, Jenna Bush HagerBob Levey/Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

George H.W. Bush remains hospitalized in "fair condition" a day after he broke a bone in his neck, his spokesman says, while Jenna Bush Hager has also given an update about her grandfather's health..

The 91-year-old, the oldest living former U.S. president, was rushed to a medical center after suffering a fall at his home in Kennebunkport, Maine on Wednesday. His rep had said that day he is "fine" and in stable condition, but will have to wear a neck brace.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Thursday, his spokesman said the former U.S. leader remains hospitalized and that his condition was the same, adding that his injury was not serious and that he is expected to make a full recovery.

On Thursday, Hager, one of former President George W. Bush's 33-year-old twin daughters, took to Twitter to thank fans for their support and said on NBC's Today show that his injury was "minor."

"Always touched by kindness: thanks for all of your thoughts+prayers for our dear Gamps," she said. "We are optimistic that he will heal well."

The spokesman said the former U.S. leader had "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 said. "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."

George H.W. Bush is currently battling Parkinson's disease and uses a wheelchair. Last Christmas, he spent a week in the hospital after suffering respiratory issues. In 2012, he was hospitalized for several months to treat bronchitis.

Hager, who serves as a special correspondent for Today, said on the show that her grandfather is "doing okay."

"He's not the typical 91-year-old," she added. "He jumped out of a plane, so I think he can manage a minor neck injury."

Last year, George H.W. Bush went skydiving for his 90th birthday. He had also done so on his 75th, 80th and 85th birthdays.

When he was a 20-year-old fighter pilot during World War II In 1944, he parachuted into the Pacific Ocean from a burning airplane after it sustained enemy fire during bombing raids on Chichi Jima, an island near Tokyo. He suffered minor injuries, was rescued by an American submarine and was the only one of his comrades to evade capture by the Japanese.

Meanwhile, George H.W. Bush's Twitter page is active again after a month-long hiatus. A message posted on his page on Thursday read, "Yesterday the country saw a great leader and good man point the way to a better future. I am 1 of the 2 proudest parents in America today."

His son, Republican leader and Florida Governor Jeb Bush, 62, had in June announced his intent to run for president in 2016.

"A slip and fall is not going to take out a World War II pilot," Jeb's son, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, quoted Jenna's twin sister Barbara Pierce Bush as saying, George H.W. Bush's spokesman tweeted.

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