Arizona Sen. John McCain‘s family announced Friday that he will no longer be seeking treatment for an aggressive brain cancer that he was diagnosed with last summer.
McCain’s family statement explained that the 81-year-old Republican senator has already “surpassed expectations for his survival” through the treatment he has received.
“But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict,” the statement read. “With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment.”
His daughter, Meghan McCain, thanked those who have supported her family through the treatment process.
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“My family is deeply appreciative of all the love and generosity you have shown us during this past year,” she wrote on Twitter. “Thank you for all your continued support and prayers. We could not have made it this far without you – you’ve given us strength to carry on.”
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McCain’s wife, Cindy, also posted the statement on Twitter, writing: “I love my husband with all of my heart. God bless everyone who has cared for my husband along this journey.”
They have been married for 37 years.
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McCain had been undergoing treatment for glioblastoma since July 2017 and was largely absent from Washington for several months.
According to The New York Times, many McCain family members have gathered in Arizona, and some close friends say the senator could have just days to live.
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The news prompted several political figures to praise McCain, who was also the 2008 Republican presidential nominee.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tweeted just moments after the announcement, writing: “Very sad to hear this morning’s update from the family of our dear friend @SenJohnMcCain. We are so fortunate to call him our friend and colleague.”
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Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer also offered his “thoughts and prayers” to the McCain family on Twitter.
Former secretary of state John Kerry also honoured McCain, writing: “God bless John McCain, his family, and all who love him — a brave man showing us once again what the words grace and grit really mean.”
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey called McCain “an American hero” who always put his country before himself.
Ducey said a “spirit of service and civility” guided McCain’s life, standing as a model for Americans regardless of political affiliation.
— With a file from The Associated Press
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