John Fetterman and Gisele Barreto Fetterman Open Up About Their Health Journey
Coping with Sen. Fetterman's Severe Depression
After Half a Year of Hospitalization, the Family Navigates His Recovery and Gisele's Health Advocacy
Half a year after Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman was hospitalized for severe depression, his wife Gisele Barreto Fetterman talked to PEOPLE about the challenges they have faced as a family. Gisele, a Brazilian-born immigrant and advocate, revealed that she and Sen. Fetterman fled to Canada to escape the media attention and allow him to focus on his recovery.
Gisele, who serves as Second Lady of Pennsylvania, has been an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness since her husband's hospitalization. She shared that the family initially struggled to find the right treatment for Sen. Fetterman and that the stigma surrounding mental illness made it difficult for them to seek help.
"It's hard to talk about, and it's hard to admit to it," she said. "But we're just trying to take it one day at a time, and one step at a time."
Sen. Fetterman, who suffered a stroke during his campaign, has since returned to work and is focusing on his recovery and his duties as a senator. Gisele expressed her pride in her husband's resilience and determination, and emphasized the importance of seeking help when struggling with mental illness.
"We're all just trying to do our best to support him and to make sure that he has what he needs to recover," she said. "And we just want him to be healthy and happy."
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