On Sunday, Jimmy Carter will complete a full year of hospice care. During this time, the former US president defied expectations, celebrated his 99th birthday, and grieved the loss of his 77-year wife, Rosalynn.
“One year after entering hospice care, president Carter continues to be at home with his family,” the Carter Center said in a statement to US media, noting the anniversary of his decision to decline further hospital treatment for various health issues and live out his days at home in Plains, Georgia.
“The Carter family is grateful for the many expressions of love they have received and the continued respect for their privacy during this time,” the family said, according to his non-profit foundation.
“The family is pleased that his decision last year to enter hospice care has sparked so many family discussions across the country on an important subject.”
As the longest-serving president in US history, Carter is a former peanut farmer, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and an advocate for philanthropic causes.
The Carters’ marriage has lasted longer than any previous president’s, surpassing even George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara’s 73 years together.Carter was believed to be nearing the end of his life in February 2023 when the Carter Center revealed he would spend his “remaining time” in hospice, at home with family. Carter had already defeated brain cancer in his 90s and had experienced various illnesses that necessitated hospitalization.
Carter, though, has persisted. At Rosalynn Carter’s funeral in November 2023, he made his final public appearance. Just a few days after being placed in hospice care, the former first lady passed away at the age of 96.
“When he first went into hospice… we thought he had a matter of days,” said grandson Jason Carter, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“That’s what the doctors were saying. But one way to think about it is God wasn’t done with him yet.”
Following the Vietnam War and the Watergate crisis, Carter was elected to the presidency in 1976 and held the office for one term.
During his presidency, there were controversy-causing events like the Iran hostage crisis as well as achievements like the Camp David peace agreements.He started the Carter Center, which supports human rights and conflict resolution, and devoted his retirement to humanitarian causes.
