Biden: Son had successful procedure at cancer center
Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, the eldest son of Vice President Joe Biden, underwent a medical procedure at a Texas cancer center on Tuesday and will be returning soon to his home state, the vice president's office said Wednesday.
In a statement released by the White House, Vice President Biden and his wife Jill said Beau Biden underwent "a successful procedure," but they did not provide any details.
"He is in great shape and is going to be discharged tomorrow and heading home to Delaware," the statement read. "He will follow up with his local physicians in the coming weeks."
The White House declined to answer any questions about what procedure was performed, including whether it was diagnostic or therapeutic in nature.
Beau Biden, 44, was hospitalized last week after becoming weak and disoriented while on a family vacation in Indiana.
Biden was initially admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. He traveled the next day to the Philadelphia hospital where he had been treated for a minor stroke in 2010 to consult with his doctor. He spent last weekend at home in Wilmington before going to Houston, where he was admitted to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center this week.
The Delaware Department of Justice released a statement saying the younger Biden had spoken Wednesday afternoon with his chief deputy and with the state prosecutor about several issues, including efforts to fight violent crime in Wilmington, and that he would speak with them again on Thursday after returning to Wilmington.
It was not immediately clear when Biden would return to work. Jason Miller, a spokesman for the Delaware Department of Justice, declined to elaborate beyond the written statement. Beau Biden was not available for comment.
A hospital spokeswoman said Wednesday afternoon that officials had no information beyond what was in the statement released by Joe Biden's office.
Authorities in Delaware, however, confirmed that emergency responders were called to the vice president's house, where Beau Biden has been living, two weeks ago.
A county dispatch center log indicates that on Aug. 1, someone at the vice president's home was reported to be possibly having a stroke and apparently not alert. Beau Biden has been staying at his father's Greenville home while his own house is renovated.
Rickie Clark, a staff supervisor with the Cranston Heights Fire Co., confirmed Wednesday that county dispatchers received a call for help from the vice president's home. However, he refused to provide further details.
The dispatch log on the fire department's website shows two references to the vice president's home on Aug. 1, one at 9:25 p.m. and another about a minute and a half later. Both cite "Cva-Not Alert," indicating that a person was in distress and apparently not alert or responsive to his or her surroundings. Clark said "Cva" is shorthand for cerebrovascular accident, or stroke.
The younger Biden has posted two photos of himself in recent days - one of him smiling with his father on Sunday, the other of him smiling with his wife, Hallie, on Tuesday.
"Touched by all your well wishes--thank you. Nice evening in Houston w/ Hallie; will share update when we have it," said the tweet accompanying the photo with his wife.
The White House said Joe Biden had canceled scheduled appearances in Rhode Island and Maine on Thursday to remain in Houston with his son and other family members. The vice president is still scheduled to join President Barack Obama in Biden's hometown of Scranton, Pa., on Friday during the second day of an Obama bus tour to discuss college costs.