George HW Bush discharged from hospital

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The former president and first ladyImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Mr and Mrs Bush celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary on 6 January

Former US President George HW Bush has been discharged from a Texas hospital after a spell in intensive care as he was treated for pneumonia.

"He is thankful for the many prayers and kind wishes he received during his stay," said his spokesman Jim McGrath.

The 92-year-old was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital on 14 January, experiencing breathing difficulties.

His wife, Barbara Bush, 91, was briefly admitted to the facility days later to be treated for fatigue and a cough.

Media caption,

Former US president George HW Bush celebrated his 90th birthday with a sky dive

The nation's 41st president was moved to intensive care where doctors inserted a breathing tube, which was removed after a couple of days.

He was transferred out of the intensive care unit a week ago and has been recovering since then, taking antibiotics.

Mr Bush, who served as US president from 1989-93, spent a week in hospital in the US state of Maine in 2015 after falling and breaking a neck bone.

He also suffers from a form of Parkinson's disease and uses a wheelchair.

Mr Bush's son, George W Bush, was elected president in 2000 and served two terms as the nation's 43rd president.

The elder Bush was born on 12 June 1924 in Massachusetts and also served as a congressman, CIA director and vice-president to Ronald Reagan.