Pa. Senate Candidate John Fetterman Is 'Grateful' at First Appearance Since Stroke: 'My Life Could Have Ended'

Gene J Puskar/AP/Shutterstock Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for the state's U.S. Senate seat, speaks during a rally in Erie, Pa.

Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman made his return to the campaign trail Friday, headlining an Erie campaign rally roughly three months after suffering a stroke in May.

Wearing a signature hooded sweatshirt and taking the stage to AC/DC's Back in Black, Fetterman greeted a crowd of 1,300 supporters, HuffPost reported.

In a 10-minute speech, Fetterman grew emotional, telling the crowd he was "grateful."

"Thank you so much for being here tonight. Thank you so much," Fetterman said, per HuffPost. "Because really tonight for me, it's about being grateful."

Fetterman, who turned 53 on Monday, took to Twitter after the rally to say he was "Feeling great, better than I have in years."

Fetterman's stroke came just days ahead of the state's Democratic U.S. Senate primary, which he won while in the hospital.

RELATED: Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman Says He's on His Way to a 'Full Recovery' After Stroke

The 53-year-old recounted in a statement and video posted to Twitter at the time that he wasn't feeling well when his wife, Gisele, recognized his symptoms as being stroke-related.

In a later video published later that same day, Gisele recounted what had happened to her husband.

"John had a stroke that was caused by a clot from his heart being in an irregular rhythm for too long," she said. "Fortunately, the amazing doctors here were able to completely clear the clot and entirely reverse the stroke. They also got his heart under control."

In June, Fetterman revealed he has a heart condition, and published a letter from his doctor with further details on his health.

In the letter, Fetterman's cardiologist, Dr. Ramesh Chandra, wrote that Fetterman's stroke was caused by Afib and that he also has a condition called cardiomyopathy, which led doctors to implant a pacemaker.

From the letter: "The prognosis I can give for John's heart is this: If he takes his medications, eats healthy, and exercises, he'll be fine. If he does what I've told him, and I do believe that he is taking his recovery and his health very seriously this time, he should be able to campaign and serve in the U.S. Senate without a problem."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

In a statement accompanying the letter, Fetterman acknowledged he had "avoided going to the doctor, even though I knew I didn't feel well."

"As a result, I almost died," he said in the statement. "I want to encourage others to not make the same mistake."

Fetterman added that he is "not quite back to 100% yet, but I'm getting closer every day."

RELATED: At Home with Pennsylvania's Headline-Making Second Couple as They Prepare Their Next Big Campaign

Fetterman began his political career as the mayor of Braddock, Pa., spearheading a renaissance of the former steel town, a blue-collar area that experienced significant decline in the late 20th century.

The former small-town mayor, youth mentor and GED teacher became part of the national conversation as lieutenant governor of a headline-making swing state. A prominent Pennsylvania Democrat, he was a major voice during former President Donald Trump's baseless quest to overturn the November election.

In February 2021, he announced he would be seeking the Democratic nomination for Senate in a widely watched race in the state following the retirement of incumbent Pat Toomey, a Republican.