Jimmy Carter – the 39th President of the United States – has made the decision to move himself into hospice care at his home in Plains, Georgia. Carter turned 98 years old this past October, and since then, he has been in and out of the hospital. The Carter Center released a statement on Saturday, Feb. 18.
“After a series of short hospital stays, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter today decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention. He has the full support of his family and his medical team. The Carter family asks for privacy during this time and is grateful for the concern shown by his many admirers.”
Carter dedicated his life to serving our country. He graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1946 and served as an officer for the seven years that followed. In the 1960s, Carter joined state politics in Georgia, and in 1971, Carter was sworn in as the 71st Govorner of the state. He was elected as the 39th President of the United States in 1976, where he served one term.
“By the end of his administration, he would claim an increase of nearly eight million jobs and a decrease in the budget deficit,” said the White House. Carter would also oversee the finalization of diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China, a national park expansion that included over 100 million acres of land in Alaska, the creation of the Department of Education, and the Camp David Accords in 1978. Carter’s final achievement as President was negotiating the return of 52 American hostages in Iran, a feat that far too many Americans credit to Ronald Reagan. Carter worked towards the return of the hostages through his final hours in office, the hostages will be on a plane bound for the States on the day of Reagan’s inauguration.
After his presidency, Carter dedicated himself to humanitarian work and charities. Most notably, he worked with Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing for those in need. Habitat for Humanity’s Carter Build Project has worked to build, repair, and renovate over 5,000 homes in 14 different countries. He also dedicated the Carter Center to human rights and alleviating human suffering.
In 2002, Carter joined a small club of US Presidents that have received a Nobel Peace Prize “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development,” said the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
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