James Earl Carter Jr., known as former President Jimmy Carter, was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. He served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. Prior to being president, Jimmy was a Georgia State Senator from 1963 to 1967 and the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975.
Jimmy was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his dedication to finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advancing democracy and human rights and promoting economic and social development. He achieved these goals through his work with The Carter Center, founded in 1982. The Carter Center is a non-profit organization with the mission of advancing human rights.
At 99, has lived in Plains, Georgia, his entire life. He was born at the Wise Sanitarium, the hospital where his mother worked as a nurse, which makes him the first U.S. president to be born in a hospital. Back in the 1920s, Plains was a boomtown of around 600 people. His father, James Earl Carter Sr., owned a general store and invested in farmland.
When he was a U.S. Naval Academy student, Jimmy met his future wife, Rosalynn, in 1945. After he proposed, Rosalynn said no at first because she had promised her father she would wait to marry until she graduated college. She kept that promise and married Jimmy in 1946 after graduating from Georgia Southwestern College.
The former president has experienced health concerns in the last years, including a cancer diagnosis. In a Twitter post on Feb. 18, 2023, The Carter Center announced that Jimmy was receiving hospice care at home in Plains, Georgia, during his final days. In May 2024, Jimmy’s grandson said in a recent announcement that his grandfather is “coming to the end.”
Jimmy Carter (1978), (IMAGO / Sven Simon)
In recent years, Jimmy has been plagued with serious health problems, which stemmed from a melanoma diagnosis in 2015, which had spread to his brain and liver. However, after receiving treatment, the former president was declared cancer-free that same year.
A statement from The Carter Center was released on Feb. 18, 2023, that read:
“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.”
It’s unclear from the announcement whether Jimmy’s cancer had returned or if another health condition prompted his decision to cease further medical treatment and begin hospice care.
Jason Carter, Jimmy’s grandson, tweeted a response to the announcement that said:
“I saw 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.”
The Washington Post reported that Jimmy’s health has gradually declined in 2023. He gets around in a wheelchair while Rosalynn uses a walker. The outlet reported that in recent weeks, the couple had gone out for car rides together.
The Carters are known for their incredible love story, and they celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary in 2023. Sadly, in August 2023, former first lady Rosalynn passed away.
“Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me,” Jimmy said in a statement, as quoted by NBC News.
Jimmy Carter, Rosalynn Carter (2015), (IMAGO / Future Image)
Jimmy’s grandson, Hugo Wentzel, has given another update on his grandfather’s health after his appearance on the reality competition show, “Claim To Fame.” After Wentzel exited the show in August 2023, he revealed he was the son of Jimmy’s daughter, Amy Carter, and had some kind words to say about his beloved grandpa.
“I have had a great life with him. He’s been an amazing grandpa. He’s an amazing person. I absolutely love him. Just from what he’s done as a family man, I’ve had great experiences. Growing up, he’s been a great influence, and at this point, we’re just taking care of him, expressing love, as he gets older,” Wentzel said.
He added he looked up to his grandfather as he was a man who was “all about everyone being equal and just trying to love everyone as much as you can.”
He also told Entertainment Weekly that Jimmy’s health was deteriorating, and it was getting “harder and harder to see him,” as only close family are able to visit.
“My mom spends a lot of her time with him. She spends almost half her time taking care of him at this point just because of things like COVID regulations. So it’s really family oriented. I haven’t been seeing him as much recently, but he knows that I love him and we’re supporting him through this time,” he added.
Wentzel said despite his ailing condition, Jimmy’s spirits were still high.
“He’s pretty sick. He still does use his brain. He listens to audiobooks. He’s a genius. He’s super smart. I love him. He always wants to be doing something with his mind, so he’s trying to keep himself busy, but he is really sick and getting older.”
Jimmy Carter (2014), (IMAGO / PanoramiC)
At a Mental Health forum held on May 14, 2024, at the Carter Center, Jason gave a significant update about his 99-year-old grandfather.
“(My grandfather) is doing OK. He has been in hospice, as you know, for almost a year and a half now, and he really is, I think, coming to the end that, as I’ve said before, there’s a part of this faith journey that is so important to him, and there’s a part of that faith journey that you only can live at the very end and I think he has been there in that space,” Jason revealed, as CNN quoted.
According to Jason, her grandmother’s passing was a “difficult moment” for their family, especially for Jimmy.
He then thanked everyone for the “outpouring of love and support” that he and his family have received from the public, describing it as “remarkable and meaningful.”
In his speech, he also recalled a conversation he had with his dear grandfather when they were watching an Atlanta Braves game together.
“I said, ‘Pa Pa … people ask me how you’re doing and I say I don’t know.’ And he said, ‘Well, I don’t know myself.’ And so, he’s still there,” the former president’s grandson remembered.
In a February 2024 essay, Jason described his grandfather as “as strong as ever.”
“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,” he wrote to CBS News.
Jimmy Carter (2024), (IMAGO / USA TODAY Network)
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