The friendship between Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and John Fetterman, her Democratic colleague from Pennsylvania, began while the pair were at freshman orientation.

It has only grown since then — including Britt visiting Fetterman while the Pennsylvania senator was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last year for depression.

Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of Fetterman’s decision to seek treatment for clinical depression — a hospitalization nearly a year after he suffered a near-fatal stroke.

As Fetterman reflected about the anniversary, which also coincided with his son Karl’s 15th birthday, on social media, Britt gave kudos to her friend’s “real courage” in getting help and going public with the decision.

“My friend @JohnFetterman showed real courage in seeking help. His story is a powerful reminder that treatment works,” Britt said, retweeting Fetterman’s thread.

Fetterman, Democratic Sen. Peter Welch of Vermont and Britt became friends at the orientation, and Welch and Britt stayed close with him through his recovery.

Britt said in the early day’s of Fetterman’s stroke recovery, he would only really engage if she started the conversation, but they bonded over having children of a similar age and the fact that Britt’s former football player husband, Wesley, is the same height — 6-foot 8-inches — as the Pennsylvania senator. When Fetterman checked into the hospital, Britt’s staff brought food to his office next door.

Britt later visited him at Walter Reed, at his request, and found Fetterman to be totally changed. “When I walked in that day, his energy and demeanor was totally different,” Britt told the Associated Press in a May interview.

Fetterman then became loud and outgoing, Britt said -– even yelling “Alabama!” at her down a hallway when he caught sight of her last week, giving her fist bumps and asking about her husband and family.

“That shows you the difference that treatment can make,” Britt said. “It’s just incredible to see.”