Former US President Jimmy Carter will end medical treatment at his Georgia home and enter hospice care, his foundation announced Saturday.
The Carter Center said Mr. Carter had decided to “spend the rest of his time at home with his family,” but did not say what led to the decision.
Mr. Carter, 98, has been plagued by recent health problems, including a melanoma that has spread to his liver and brain.
The country’s oldest living leader, he served for a term from 1977-81.
During his tenure as president, Mr. Carter faced several foreign policy challenges and lost the re-election bid to Democrat Ronald Reagan.
“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 their many fans,” the Carter Center said in a statement Saturday. It’s spent.”
Terminally ill patients may receive hospital care rather than undergo further medical treatment. The priority is not to provide further treatment, but to provide comfort until the end of the patient’s life.
Mr. Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, a former senator from Georgia, tweeted that he visited both of my grandparents yesterday.
“They are at peace and – as always – their home is full of love. Thank you all for your kind words,” he said.
In 2021, Mr. Carter and his wife Roslyn celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. They have four children together.
Born in Georgia in 1924, Mr. Carter entered politics in the 1960s when he was elected a state senator, before becoming the state’s governor in 1971.
Five years later, he defeated incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford to become the 39th Commander-in-Chief.
But problems quickly escalated for Mr. Carter as president.
At home, the oil crisis led to high inflation and unemployment, and he struggled to persuade Americans to accept the desired austerity measures.
The highlight of the Carter years was the signing of the Camp David Accords in 1978, in which Egypt formally recognized the state of Israel. He also signed an agreement to return control of the Panama Canal to Panama.
But in 1979, the last Shah of Iran was overthrown and 66 Americans were taken hostage in Tehran. Mr. Carter responded by cutting diplomatic ties with Iran and imposing trade sanctions.
However, the public did not believe he was tough enough and his popularity declined after the American hostages were held for 444 days. His approval rating suffered further after a hostage rescue attempt failed and eight US soldiers were killed.
Iran then delayed the release of the hostages until Ronald Reagan was sworn in.
Since leaving the White House, Mr. Carter has been active in humanitarian work with his Carter Center.
He led a delegation that tried to persuade military leaders in Haiti to hand over power in 1994, and he brokered a ceasefire in Bosnia that paved the way for a future peace deal there.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and gained international recognition for his work in the promotion of human rights.
Along with Nelson Mandela, he founded The Elders, a group of world leaders committed to working for peace and human rights.
He also traveled extensively – in the early 90s – and took part in annual house-building tours with the Habitat for Humanity charity.
But the former president has also battled a number of health problems in recent years. In August 2015, Mr. Carter had a small cancerous mass removed from his liver.
The following year he announced that he no longer needed treatment, as an experimental drug had eliminated any signs of cancer.
She has often displayed an amazing calmness while dealing with her health challenges.
“I’m totally comfortable with whatever comes,” he said in 2015. “I have had an interesting, adventurous and satisfying existence.”
Mr. Carter celebrated his most recent birthday in October, in the small Georgia town where he and his wife were born between World War I and the Great Depression, and where he returned from office.
A host of senior US politicians – including Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Governor Cathy Hoechl and Georgia Senator Raphael Warnick – offered their thoughts and prayers to Mr Carter’s family as the news broke on Saturday night. .
“In this critical time of transition, God is surely walking with him,” Senator Warnock tweeted. “May he, Rosalyn and the entire Carter family be surrounded by this comfort and our love and prayers.”
