Former president Jimmy Carter‘s family just shared news that former first lady Rosalynn Carter has been diagnosed with dementia. This comes just three months after it was revealed that the 39th US president entered hospice care.
According to the Carter family, the politician, 98, and his wife, 95, are living “happily at home” together while fighting their individual health battles. The two have been married since 1946, and share four children; Amy, Jack, James and Donnel.
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Jimmy Carter’s Family Releases Statement Re: Rosalynn’s Dementia Diagnosis
In a May 30, 2023 statement, the Carters wrote,”Mrs. Carter has been the nation’s leading mental health advocate for much of her life. First in the Georgia Governor’s Mansion, then in the White House, and later at The Carter Center, she urged improved access to care and decreased stigma about issues surrounding mental health.”
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Her family continued, honoring Mrs. Carter’s longtime mental health advocacy: “One in 10 older Americans have dementia, a condition that affects overall mental health. We recognize, as she did more than half a century ago, that stigma is often a barrier that keeps individuals and their families from seeking and getting much-needed support. We hope sharing our family’s news will increase important conversations at kitchen tables and in doctor’s offices around the country.”
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Jimmy Carter Entered Hospice Care In February 2023
Back in February of this year, the Carters also told the public that the former president (and the longest-living president of the United States) had “terminated medical intervention and would live out the rest of his days at home in Georgia with loved ones,” as People Magazine notes.
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While we have yet to receive updates related to Mr. Carter and his condition, his family did give an update on longtime Rosalynn’s health, saying that she “continues to live happily at home with her husband, enjoying spring in Plains and visits with loved ones.”
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Inside The Carters’ 76-Year Marriage
Rosalynn met her husband when Jimmy was 3 years old and she was just a newborn, as the outlet writes. Their parents were close friends and neighbors. In recent years, President Carter reflected on his marriage and noted that he wanted to marry Rosalynn after their first date.
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On July 7, 2022, the couple celebrated their 76th wedding anniversary. In addition to their four children, they share 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
“The best thing I ever did was marrying Rosalynn,” the former president said in a 2015 interview at The Carter Center, their humanitarian organization. “That’s the pinnacle of my life.”
