Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Monday 16 april 2018

Spokesman: Former first lady Barbara Bush in failing health

By MICHAEL GRACZYK been married longer than CIA director and Ronald
HOUSTON (AP) — Former any presidential couple in Reagan's vice president.
first lady Barbara Bush is in American history. Barbara Pierce Bush was
"failing health" and won't Eight years after she and born June 8, 1925, in Rye,
seek additional medical her husband left the White New York. Her father was
treatment, a Bush family House, Mrs. Bush stood with the publisher of McCall's
spokesman said Sunday. her husband as their son and Redbook magazines.
"Following a recent series of George W. was sworn in as She and George H.W. Bush
hospitalizations, and after the 43rd president. married when she was 19
consulting her family and She's known for her white and while he was a young
doctors, Mrs. Bush, now hair and her triple-strand naval aviator. After World
age 92, has decided not fake pearl necklace. War II, the Bushes moved to
to seek additional medical Her brown hair began to Texas where he went into
treatment and will instead gray in the 1950s, while her the oil business.
focus on comfort care," 3-year-old daughter Pau- Along with her memoirs,
spokesman Jim McGrath line, known to her family she's the author of "C. Fred's In this March 29, 2015, file photo, former President George H.W.
said in a news release.Mc- as Robin, underwent treat- Story" and "Millie's Book," Bush and his wife Barbara Bush, left, speak before a college
Grath did not elaborate ment for leukemia and based on the lives of her basketball regional final game between Gonzaga and Duke, in
as to the nature of Bush's eventually died in October dogs. q the NCAA basketball tournament in Houston. Associated Press
health problems. She has 1953. She later said dyed
been treated for decades hair didn't look good on her
for Graves' disease, which and credited the color to
is a thyroid condition, had the public's perception of
heart surgery in 2009 for a her as "everybody's grand-
severe narrowing of her mother."
main heart valve and was Her pearls sparked a na-
hospitalized a year before tional fashion trend when
that for surgery on a perfo- she wore them to her hus-
rated ulcer. band's inauguration in
"It will not surprise those 1989. The pearls became
who know her that Barbara synonymous with Bush,
Bush has been a rock in the who later said she selected
face of her failing health, them to hide the wrinkles in
worrying not for herself — her neck. The candid ad-
thanks to her abiding faith mission only bolstered her
— but for others," McGrath common sense and down-
said. "She is surrounded by to-earth public image.
a family she adores, and Her 93-year-old husband,
appreciates the many kind the nation's 41st president
messages and especially who served from 1989 to
the prayers she is receiv- 1993, also has had health is-
ing." sues in recent years. In April
Bush, who is at home in 2017, he was hospitalized in
Houston, is one of only two Houston for two weeks for
first ladies who was also the a mild case of pneumonia
mother of a president. The and chronic bronchitis. He
other was Abigail Adams, was hospitalized months
wife of John Adams, the earlier, also for pneumonia.
nation's second president, He has a form of Parkinson's
and mother of John Quincy disease and uses a motor-
Adams, the sixth president. ized scooter or a wheel-
Bush married George H.W. chair for mobility.
Bush on Jan. 6, 1945. They Before being president, he
had six children and have served as a congressman,