Zell Miller falls sick during speech.
Zell Miller falls ill at Care Center banquet
Wife said he had flu-like symptoms
Former U.S. Sen. Zell Miller signs a copy of his book "A Deficit of Decency" for Rhett Fulcher on Thursday at Chapter 11 Books and Music. Miller, also a former governor of Georgia, was the keynote speaker Thursday night at Gainesville Care Center's 2005 Celebration Banquet. He later was hospitalized.
Retired U.S. Sen. Zell Miller was taken Thursday night by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center, following complaints of feeling faint during a speech at the Gainesville Care Center banquet at the Georgia Mountains Center.
Miller, 73, arrived at the hospital between 8:30 and 8:45 p.m., said nursing supervisor Tammy Harbison, who was unsure of the cause of the senator's illness.
"He is currently being evaluated. He's in stable condition right now, but that's all we know."
Hospital spokeswoman Cathy Bowers later said that Miller was alert and cracking jokes. He was likely to be kept overnight for observation.
Witnesses at the banquet said Miller, who also served two terms as Georgia's governor, was visibly ill.
"He looked like he was kind of sick. He started losing his voice," said Michael Smith of Gainesville. "Then he said he felt like he was going to faint. He had to get off the stage after that."
"I hope he's all right. I'm praying for him."
According to the Associated Press, Miller's wife, Shirley, who was at the hospital, released a statement saying Miller was feeling better about an hour later.
"He has had flu-like symptoms for a couple of days, and he would not stay in bed," she said. "He feels like going home. He's just waiting for the doctor's approval."
Miller was giving a speech to a crowd of about 1,000 at the annual care center banquet when he had to cut it short. Gainesville Care Center has served as a pregnancy resource since 1987 in the Hall County area.
Miller talked Thursday night about the importance of the local group.
"The care center's doing tremendous work for Gaines-ville," he said. "It's helping a lot of young mothers who are frightened and confused. This city's very fortunate to have such a caring group of people within the community."
Agnes Hamilton of Gainesville came to the banquet because she's a strong supporter of the local group.
"The care center is essential to this city," she said. "There's so many young people who need support from people like this."
Care Center director Ann Gainey said that the annual banquet is "a celebration of what God has done in the past year."
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Originally published Friday, April 29, 2005
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