RICHMOND, Va. -- The pain of seven broken ribs did not appear to slow Gov. Terry McAuliffe down. In recent days, we've seen him making rounds, business as usual. From delivering his state of the Commonwealth address last week to appearing Sunday at a fundraiser for a wounded Richmond police officer, Gov. McAuliffe has been on the go.
In recent days, he has been seen making the rounds, with business as usual. From delivering his state of the Commonwealth address last week to appearing Sunday at a fundraiser for a wounded Richmond police officer, Gov. McAuliffe has been on the go.
He even made a stop in Norfolk Monday morning at an Old Dominion University event commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The governor's office tweeted several photos from that public appearance.
Then on Tuesday it was reported that McAuliffe was up and working from his hospital room. He was making and taking calls and even granted a conditional pardon to an autistic Stafford inmate, confirmed spokesman Brian Coy.That will clear the way for Reginald Latson to seek treatment for his autism.
MEDICAL PROCEDURES KEEP MCAULIFFE AT HOSPITAL
Some lawmakers at the General Assembly were blown away to hear the governor was admitted to the VCU Medical Center on Monday.
A spokesperson says this stems from an injury that the governor received a few weeks ago when he was on a family vacation in Africa. The governor was thrown from a horse and broke seven ribs. Doctors expected the injury to heal on its own, but Monday, the governor was admitted to the hospital for complications.
Doctors successfully drained fluid from his lungs according to First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe. The governor tweeted at 5:20 p.m. Monday that he was "on to a speedy recovery."
The governor had one liter of blood drained from his chest cavity, confirmed Rachel Thomas. The governor is expected to remain at VCU Medical through Wednesday, at least.
Attorney General Mark Herring tweeted his best wishes to Gov. McAuliffe after hearing that he was resting comfortably.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say they are hoping and praying for the best for the governor. Del. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, had this to say about the governor's condition.
"I think he either has a high threshold for pain, or he is just so focused on his work that he pushes through it," she said. "I'm glad he's taking it seriously and went to the hospital and hope everything turns out okay."
"I'm glad he's attending to it and he is getting good care," Speaker of the House, William Howell, R-Stafford, said. "I don't think this will keep him down for long.
"I guarantee he's running the show from his hospital bed."
