Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando returns to in-person duties after heart attack
Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando returns to in-person duties after heart attack
ROCKVILLE, Md. - Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando marked his official return to in-person council duties Tuesday following a heart attack earlier this month.
What we know:
Jawando, who is also the Democratic nominee for county executive, held a press conference thanking his family, friends, staff, and medical team.
"A moment like this changes your perspective," Jawando said. "It makes you think about the people you love and the fact that you still get to be here with them."
RELATED: Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando recovering after heart attack
The medical emergency occurred the morning of Saturday, Sept. 5, during a weekend pickup basketball game. Jawando was taken to The George Washington University Hospital, where medical staff successfully placed a stent.
Jawando said everything seemed normal in the moments before his heart attack. Things took a dangerous turn when he started having chest pains.
"It was the last game of the day and about a couple of minutes in, up and down I started having pains, and I was short of breath," Jawando recalled.
He's hoping that others learn from his experience.
"A lot of things were being thrown out, and I wasn’t sure," he said. "I think a lot of times the typical reaction is, ‘There is no way I’m having a heart attack.’ I mean that’s not happening."
Jawando noted that he plans to pace himself as he resumes his workload.
"I'm not in a rush to go back to an unhealthy lifestyle," he said.
What's next:
Politics did not stand still in Jawando's absence, and with the election for county executive a month away, he now faces the task of recovering while running a political campaign.
He said he is healthy enough to serve, but is cutting back on his schedule as he recovers. Jawando did say that, if he's elected on November 3, picking a new police chief is his number one job.
READ MORE | Montgomery County police chief Marc Yamada resigns following misconduct investigation
"On the police chief, yes, I think that’s going to be, if not my first appointment, one of the very first," Jawando said. "I think it’s important. Public safety is extremely important to our residents. Crime is down, and we want to keep that going in that direction, and you need continuity."
Jawando also said he will not be debating his Republican opponent for county executive, Ester Wells.
He said he's already appeared at more than 40 candidate forums and wants to use this time before the election for direct contact with voters.
FOX 5 DC reached out to Wells' campaign for comment.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.