BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Jimmy Carter, the longest-lived president in American history, has entered hospice care, officials said Saturday.
- Former President Jimmy Carter has entered hospice care
- The 98-year-old will "spend his remaining time at home with his family," according to a statement from the Carter Center
- Carter is the longest-living ex-president in U.S. history
"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," read a statement released Saturday by the Carter Center, the non-profit organization he founded.
"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."Statement by the Carter Center
"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, 98, previously beat brain and liver cancer. In recent years, he's had surgery to relieve pressure on his brain caused by falls in his home.
Carter, the former governor of Georgia, defeated President Gerald Ford in the 1976 election, riding a wave of support following the Watergate scandal.
After losing re-election to Ronald Reagan in 1980, Carter became a crusader for human rights and democracy across the globe. His post-presidential efforts earned him a Nobel Peace Prize, making him the only American president to win the honor after leaving the White House.
Ties to the region
The 39th president was not a frequent visitor to the Lehigh Valley but did have ties to the region.
Aside from stumping in Bethlehem during his first presidential campaign, he relied on Lafayette College alumnus Robert Pastor during and after his presidency.
Pastor was a leading negotiator in Panama Canal Treaties, which saw the U.S. hand over control of the vital passage to Panama.
After Carter left office, Pastor joined the Carter Center, where he developed an election monitoring program. During a 2013 lecture at Lafayette, Carter credited the program with helping end military dictatorships in South America.
During the lecture, Carter said Pastor looked like a child when they first met. He was reassured when someone told him he was a Lafayette graduate.
"I found out he was bold, brilliant, aggressive, and he had a mind of his own," Carter said of Pastor, who died in 2014.
