Jimmy Carter’s Grandson Shares Update On Former President’s Spirit One Year Into Hospice Care
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“His spirit is as strong as ever.”
Ramin Talaie/Corbis via Getty Images
Jimmy Carter’s grandson celebrated the former president’s strength, resolve, and unwavering faith as the 99 year old marked one year in hospice care on Sunday.
Carter, the oldest living US president in history, has survived brain cancer, liver cancer, and numerous health scares. Following a few brief hospitalizations, he announced his decision to forgo further medical intervention in February 2023. He lost his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, in November 2023.
“He lived to see both his life and this world transformed in so many ways. And through all of those changing times, he truly has clung to his unchanging principles: Faith; respect for human dignity; equality; human rights; and the commandment that above all else you should love your neighbor as yourself,” Jason Carter said in a video that aired on CBS Sunday Morning. “Nearly a decade ago, he had five melanoma tumors in his brain and liver, and we quoted the old gospel song that says he's going to ‘stay on the battlefield.’ And he has.”
According to Jonathan Fleece, president and CEO of Empath Health, the average length of hospice stay nationally is “in the 60- to 70-day range.”
Yet, despite the odds, the 39th president continues to fight.
“After a year in hospice, on a daily basis we have no expectations for his body, but we know that his spirit is as strong as ever,” Jason Carter said in the video.
The Carter family issued a statement marking the milestone Sunday, noting that President Carter remains at home with his family.
“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 statement reads. “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.”
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