It has been a long and valiant fight but on Friday, Arizona Sen. John McCain’s family announced that one of the most popular Republicans to speak out against the current president’s authoritarian regime will discontinue his brain cancer treatment.
“The progress of the disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict,” McCain’s family said in a statement, NBC News reports. “With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment.
“Our family is immensely grateful for the support and kindness of all his caregivers over the last year, and for the continuing outpouring of concern and affection from John’s many friends and associates, and the many thousands of people who are keeping him in their prayers,” the family continued. “God bless and thank you all.”
McCain, 81, has been battling an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma since 2017. McCain had been undergoing a forceful form of treatment that caused him to spend more time resting in his Arizona home. In May, McCain underwent a surgery for an intestinal infection.
During an appearance on NPR that same month, the one time presidential hopeful, who bravely returned to the U.S. Capitol after his cancer diagnosis to vote “no” on Trump’s attempt to repeal Obamacare, told the news station, “I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here.”