Former president George H.W. Bush was admitted to the hospital the day after his wife’s funeral, and some are now speculating that he may be suffering from “broken heart syndrome.”
The president is “responding to treatments and appears to be recovering,” according to his spokesman, Jim McGrath. The 93-year-old politician remains in the Houston Methodist Hospital after “contracting an infection that spread to his blood.”
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President Bush has been fighting various ailments for years, but a grief expert told PEOPLE that his latest batch of symptoms matches takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or “broken heart syndrome.”
“Broken heart syndrome is absolutely a real syndrome, a true medical condition,” said David Kessler, founder of Grief.com. “Grief is a reflection of the love. And the loss of a love so deep can actually be heartbreaking.”
“If two hearts have beaten in rhythm for 73 years, it’s not surprising that when Barbara leaves, that George considers following,” he explained. “They have a love story that not even a little death can stop.”
President Bush’s long-time chief of staff, Jean Becker, admitted that the funeral arrangements had exhausted him.
“So many of you are asking, ‘How is 41?’ He, of course, is broken-hearted to lose his beloved Barbara, his wife of 73 years,” Becker wrote shortly after Barbara Bush’s passing. “He held her hand all day today and was at her side when [she] left this good earth.”
“Obviously, this is a very challenging time,” she went on, “But it will not surprise all of you who know and love him, that he also is being stoic and strong, and is being lifted up by his large and supportive family. He is determined to be there for them as well. He appreciates all the well wishes and support.”
“My guess is those few days, saying goodbye to her and connecting with so many people took such a toll on his body,” Kessler said. “He was running on empty. She was the one who filled him up. He must be missing her terribly.”
“Till death do us part is often not true with broken heart syndrome,” he added, “the love and the longing continues. Sometimes the other spouse follows days, weeks and months later.”
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy also played a part in the death of Debbie Reynolds in December of 2016, just one day after the passing of her daughter, Carrie Fisher.
“We think it may have something to do with an extreme adrenaline rush, and our research at NYU has focused on how the body can rein in an adrenaline surge,” said Dr. Harmony Reynolds at the time.. “We wonder if people who have this problem could have a difficulty reining in an adrenaline surge on a physical level.”
