“Tears & Turbulence: Meghan McCain Reveals the Heartbreaking Reason She Couldn’t Reach Her Mother After the Stroke — and the Doctor’s Secret Note That Changed Everything” When news broke that Cindy McCain had suffered a stroke, Meghan McCain’s first instinct was to get on the next flight home — until her doctor handed her a sealed note that stopped her cold. What she read inside left her in tears. In a rare emotional confession, Meghan revealed that her pregnancy made flying impossible, forcing her to stay thousands of miles away while her mother fought for her life. “I felt helpless,” she whispered, “like the world was moving without me.” But the real heartbreak wasn’t just the distance — it was what that confidential note from her doctor warned her about, a message she’s never fully shared… until now. What did that note say that made Meghan break down.

The 71-year-old wife of the late Senator John McCain suffered a stroke last week

Cindy McCain and Meghan McCain at the Time100 Gala in April 2023.Credit : 

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Meghan McCain is offering up an update on her mom, Cindy, after the news broke last week that the wife of the late Senator John McCain had suffered a “mild stroke.”

“My mother, Cindy McCain, who you all may or may not know, she did, in fact, suffer from a mild stroke last week,” Meghan, 40, shared on her Citizen McCain podcast on Tuesday, Oct. 14. “I didn’t talk about it on my social media because my brothers and my family and I were trying to, you know, figure out what was going on.”

Cindy, 71, who was living in Rome, Italy, and working with the U.N. World Food Program, has returned to her home in Arizona to be close to family amid her recovery.

“She has now flown back to Arizona with my brother Jimmy and is recovering very well, is currently still in the hospital but will be leaving soon,” Meghan shared. “She is cognitively completely fine. Talks just normal, like, that she always has and texting, and I’ve talked to her many times and to my family.”

Meghan went on to share that her mom has had some physical struggles amid her recovery.

“She has some physical things that have happened as a result of the stroke, but she is — all things considered — it is mild, as the doctor said, and not intense, but still scary nonetheless,” Meghan said. “But she is okay.”

The pregnant mother of two also explained why she has not traveled to Arizona to be by her mother’s side.

“I am glad that she is in Arizona with my family. And for those of you asking why I’m not in Arizona with my family, I am seven months pregnant,” Meghan noted. “I am not allowed to fly that far yet. I am actually going to my doctor tomorrow to see if I can get clearance to fly.”

However, Meghan is grateful to have “six brothers and sisters,” saying it’s “all hands on deck taking care of my mom right now.”

Meghan added, “I’m not going to tell you she’s fine and everything’s amazing, but like I said, thank God, cognitively completely fine. Does not like being in the hospital.”

The U.N. World Food Program first shared the news of Cindy’s stroke, noting that the organization’s executive director is “expected to make a full recovery.”

The organization added that Cindy is expected to be out of commission for four to six weeks amid her recovery.

“I want to thank the medical staff in Italy for the excellent treatment I received,” Cindy shared in a statement. “My recovery is progressing well thanks to their outstanding care. I look forward to continuing my recuperation at home in Arizona with my family.”