CINCINNATI – City Council Member Wendell Young is expected to make a full recovery from an acute aortic dissection, a life-threatening emergency, his family said Wednesday.
His wife, Kathy Young, told a morning news conference that he is cracking jokes, doing well and would make a full return to council duties.
"He wants your prayers and he also wants your vote," Kathy Young said, referring to the November election.
Young's family said they were caught off guard when he was rushed into emergency surgery last Thursday. He had the same condition that killed actor John Ritter in 2003.
But Young's daughter, Allison Hunter, said her dad is "ahead" of his expected recovery.
It’s Young’s birthday, family members said, but they wouldn’t divulge his age. He apparently guards it well - his city council bio doesn’t say and neither does his most recent bio with the League of Women’s Voters.
Young, a life-long Cincinnati resident, was appointed to city council in 2010. He was a police officer for 25 years after graduating from Hughes High School in 1963 and serving in the Air Force, according to his bio. He also taught briefly at Aiken High School and held several public service jobs.
