After a “series of short hospital stays,” former US President Jimmy Carter has chosen hospice care “instead of additional medical intervention” at his home in Plains, Georgia, according to the Carter Center. The choice was taken with the full backing of his family and medical team by the 98-year-old. Jason Carter, the former president’s grandson, stated that the former president and his wife, Rosalynn, are “at peace” and that their home is full of love.
Carter’s one-term presidency ended in 1981, and he has struggled with health concerns in recent years. He had surgery in 2015 to remove a tumor from his liver, and doctors later discovered melanoma on his brain. His physicians proclaimed him cancer-free after months of treatment, but he was hospitalized in 2019 after fracturing his pelvis in a tumble at home.
James Earl Carter Jr. was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia, to a grocer and a certified nurse. He attended the United States Naval Academy and served as governor of Georgia before being elected president in 1976. His presidency was marred by an economic downturn and foreign policy challenges, most notably the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, in which dissidents held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. These issues all led to his failure in the 1980 election, which he lost by a landslide to Republican Ronald Reagan.
Carter spent his time after leaving politics to humanitarian and charity work, most notably through the Habitat for Humanity housing initiative and the Carter Presidential Center for Human Rights. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his efforts to promote peace and democracy.
