Photo: Andre Chung/The Washington Post/Getty

TAKOMA PARK, MD – NOVEMBER 01: Congressman Jamie Raskin represents Marylands 8th district. He served as an impeachment manager against President Donald Trump, and had to hide and flee from insurrectionists on January 6th. His son, Tommy, committed suicide last year at the age of 25, and the Raskins buried him the day before the attack on the Capitol. (photo by Andre Chung for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Maryland Democratic Rep.Jamie Raskinrevealed he has been diagnosed with a “serious but curable form of cancer.” Despite the diagnosis, he plans to carry on as a congressman, according to a press release issued Wednesday.

“After several days of tests,I have been diagnosed with Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma,” he said in a statement. “I am about to embark on a course of chemo-immunotherapy on an outpatient basis at Med Star Georgetown University Hospital and Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Prognosis for most people in my situation is excellent after four months of treatment.”

Jamie Raskin.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call/Getty

UNITED STATES - DECEMBER 1: Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., is seen after the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol markup in Cannon Building on a report recommending that the House of Representatives cite Jeffrey Clark for criminal contempt of Congress and refer him to the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia for prosecution, on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Raskin, who’s been serving as the U.S. representative for Maryland’s 8th congressional district since 2017, also discussed the side effects of chemotherapy, which include “hair loss and weight gain” as well as impairing natural antibodies and undermining the body’s immune system.

The politician also said he remains hopeful following the diagnosis.

“With the benefit of early detection and fine doctors, the help of my extraordinary staff, the love of [wife] Sarah and our daughters and sons-in-law (actual and to-be) and family and friends, and the support of my beloved constituents and my colleagues in the House, I plan to get through this and, in the meantime, to keep making progress every day in Congress for American democracy,” he said.

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“My love and solidarity go out to other families managing cancer or any other health condition in this holiday season — and all the doctors, nurses and medical personnel who provide us comfort and hope,” he concluded.

After releasing the statement on Wednesday, several of his colleagues, including Rep. Ritchie Torres and Rep. David Trone, showed their support via Twitter.

Calling him"a national treasure,“Torres, 34, said, “I am praying for his strong and swift recovery as he undergoes cancer treatment. America needs you, Jamie.”

Trone, 67, wrote in his tweet, “If you know @RepRaskin, you know that he’s a fighter. Jamie,we are with you every step of the way.”

Last month, he was elected to a fourth term as a congressman after winning 80 percent of the vote.

source: people.com