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PBS Kids TV show ‘Arthur’ wishes John Lewis a ‘speedy recovery’

U.S. Rep. John Lewis has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Lewis, 79, has represented Atlanta in Congress since 1986. He has been reelected 16 times, winning another term in 2018 with no opposition. The Alabama native rose out of the Nashville student movements and became a key ally of Martin Luther King Jr. In 1961, he was attacked as a Freedom Rider, and beaten by a state trooper in Selma, Alabama, during “Bloody Sunday.” The attack spurred support in the U.S. and Congress for the Vo
By Raisa Habersham
Dec 31, 2019

Congressman John Lewis has received an outpouring of support since he announced he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

His latest well wishes come from everyone’s favorite aardvark, Arthur.

The popular PBS Kids television show, "Arthur," posted a Facebook post Tuesday wishing the longtime congressman "a speedy recovery."

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In 2017, Lewis appeared on the episode “Arthur Takes A Stand,” in which he encourages Arthur to stand up to an injustice against beloved lunch lady, Mrs. MacGrady who also happens to be a friend of Lewis’.

The episode also highlights Lewis’ record as a civil rights pioneer.

On Sunday, Lewis, 79, announced he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

“I’ve been in some kind of fight – for freedom, equality, basic human rights – for nearly my entire life,” he said in a statement. “I have never faced a fight quite like this one…but with God’s grace I will be back on the front lines soon.”

A native of Alabama, Lewis has spent 32 years in the U.S. House and has been re-elected 16 times, most recently in 2018.

About the Author

Raisa Habersham is the Intown Atlanta hyperlocal reporter for The Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

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