WASHINGTON Former US President Jimmy Carter (19771981), 98, is receiving palliative care at his home where he will spend the rest of his life, the foundation that bears his name said Saturday.
“After a series of brief hospitalizations, former US President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend the rest of his time at home with his family and to seek hospice care instead of further medical procedures,” the Carter Center said on Twitter.
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Jason Carter, the couple’s grandson, who now chairs the Carter Center’s board of directors, said in a tweet Saturday that he “saw both of my grandparents yesterday (the day before).” “They are at peace and as always their home is filled with love.”
He was the 39th President of the United States. Born on October 1, 1924 in Plains, Georgia, the former Navy lieutenant was a state senator and governor. His presidency is known for the Camp David Accords, the Iran hostage crisis, and the creation of the Ministries of Energy and Education. He resigned after being defeated by Ronald Regan in the 1980 election.
The former president, who became the oldest surviving US president after the death of George Bush in December 2018 at the age of 94, has had numerous health problems in recent years, including a melanoma that spread to the liver and brain.
After losing to Regan, he and his wife founded the Carter Center in 1982. Since then, the former president has defended democracy, public health and human rights around the world.
Carter was the underdog who won the 1976 election
Young Carter, a moderate Democrat, rose quickly from the local school board to the state senate and then to the governorship of Georgia. As an outsider, he began weaving his candidacy for the White House. His campaign gained strength on his promise not to deceive the American people after the disastrous administration of Richard Nixon, who resigned to avoid impeachment in 1974, and the US defeat in Vietnam.
“If I lie to you, if I make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I didn’t deserve to be your president,” Carter said many times during his campaign, in which he defeated Republican Gerald Ford. | AFP and AP