State Sen. Tim Melson will be back in Alabama soon.
In a phone call Sunday morning to Alabama Daily News, Melson, R-Florence, said pending travel arrangements, he’ll be back home within a few days and will continue to receive medical care.
The three-term lawmaker from Florence was part of a state delegation visiting South Korea late last month when he suffered a cardiac arrest. His colleague Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, performed CPR until medical help arrived. Melson has been hospitalized since the incident and spent several days on life support. He was moved out of the ICU late last week.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to Alabama and getting further (medical care),” Melson told ADN this morning. “I’m very thankful for all the well wishes and prayers. The outpouring has been amazing.”
Melson’s family has regularly updated a FaceBook page with the senator’s progress and said Friday they were beginning to discuss when he’d be able to return to Alabama.
Melson, an anesthesiologist, was first elected to the Senate in 2014. He is the chair of the Senate Health Care Committee and previously chaired the chamber’s Education Policy Committee.
His Senate district includes Lauderdale County and much of Limestone County.
His legislative work includes the 2021 law allowing medical marijuana usage for people with specific illnesses and conditions and the creation of the Lauderdale County Agriculture Event Center, which is under construction.