Former US President Jimmy Carter chose palliative care. The Carter Center announced on Saturday. After a series of brief hospital stays, the 98-year-old Carter opted to “spend the rest of his time at home with his family” rather than proceed with medical procedures.
“He has the full support of his family and medical staff. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and appreciates the kindness shown by many of his admirers,” the center said in a statement shared on Twitter.
39th President of the USA
Carter, 98, who after leaving the White House lived longer than any other former president in US history, was a Democrat and served as the 39th president of the United States from January 1977 to January 1981. His successor was Ronald Reagan.
The presidency of the trained peanut farmer and nuclear engineer from southern Georgia began with hope: In September 1978, Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed two framework peace agreements – a coup sensational that Carter managed to pull in tough secret negotiations at Camp David. Another success was the SALT II Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, which Carter and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev signed in Vienna in June 1979.
But then the Islamic revolution in Iran, including the Tehran hostage crisis, the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, the economic crisis and the collapse of the dollar overshadowed his tenure. For 444 days, Iranian students held more than 50 Americans in their power after a 1979 attack on the US embassy in Tehran. A liberation action by the military ended in disaster.
Melanomas in the liver and brain
In 1982, Carter founded his non-governmental organization, the Carter Center, which works, among other things, for the peaceful resolution of conflicts around the world. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In recent years, Carter has suffered from a number of health issues, including melanoma, which has spread to his liver and brain. He responded well to medical treatment. He declared himself cancer-free in 2015. Carter and his wife Rosalynn, whom he married in 1946, have four children.