The former president of the United States George H. W. Bush has just been taken to Houston Methodist Hospital because of shortness of breath, confirmed by the family's spokesperson today, December 24.
According to Jim McGrath, the spokesperson, the former president is requested to stay for a while as a precaution and for observation. It is unclear if he's going to spend Christmas in the hospital.
The White House, meanwhile, mentioned that President Barack Obama and the First Family have already been informed and that they're sending positive thoughts and wishes to the Bush Family, especially that it's the holidays.
The 90-year-old former president has been admitted quite a few times over the last 23 years. He spent about two months in the same hospital after suffering cough complications due to bronchitis.
Back when he was still president, he was admitted because of irregular heartbeat. He also has been diagnosed with Graves disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland. The overproduction of hormones causes anxiety, tremor of the fingers, weight loss, sensitivity to heat, and sometimes enlargement of the thyroid. This is the same disease that his wife is suffering.
Although he struggles with walking-he can no longer walk without any form of assistance-he still continues to remain active as much and as often as possible. For his 90th birthday, he jumped with a parachute, an activity he also did in some of his previous birthdays. He's also been spotted at an event held in Texas A&M University, which was held around a month ago.
George H. W. Bush was the forty-first president of the United States and served from 1989 to 1993. Before that, he was a vice president between 1981 and 1989, as well as director for Central Intelligence, ambassador, and congressman. His son, George W. Bush, became the 43rd president.