Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Penn.) said Thursday he suffered a “minor stroke” and will be sidelined for six weeks while he recovers.
Evans, who represents Philadelphia, said in a statement he received the diagnosis this week and did not realize at the time of the incident that he was having a stroke. He said the stroke should not affect his ability to continue serving his constituents in the long term.
“I wanted to let my constituents know that I am recovering from a minor stroke and want to emphasize the word minor,” Evans wrote in a statement.
“It was small enough that I didn’t even realize what had happened for a few days. The main impact appears to be some difficulty with one leg, which will likely affect my walking for some time, but not my ability to serve the people of Philadelphia in the long term,” he said.
Evans said he is currently recovering at an inpatient rehabilitation center and plans to stay there for another week before transitioning to outpatient therapy. He expects to vote in Washington in six weeks, he said.
“I am focusing on my healing and ask for privacy during these six weeks,” he said.
Since receiving his diagnosis this week, Evans said he has “been taking time to rest and recover and to decide how to go public in a way that helps educate people.”
In the coming months, Evans said, he hopes to work to “remove the stigma that sometimes accompanies strokes,” adding, “many people can recover and continue with their lives and their work.”
Another prominent Democrat from Pennsylvania – Senator John Fetterman – suffered a stroke while campaigning for his current seat in the upper house. He has been open about his recovery process and his mental health struggles, which culminated in his decision to seek treatment early in his term.
In a Chamber with historically narrow margins, each vote can have consequences. Republicans currently have 217 seats, Democrats have 213 seats, and there are five open seats. Evans’ absence for the next six weeks would increase the majority from four to five votes, except other absences.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
