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Jimmy Carter Celebrates 100th Birthday 19 Months After Entering Hospice: ‘Limited in What He Can Do’
Jimmy Carter reached a major milestone celebrating his 100th birthday on Tuesday, October 1. The former president entered hospice 19 months ago at his Plains, Georgia, home. Jimmy is the first former U.S. president to reach 100.
Jimmy, who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981, was celebrated by millions across America on his special day. On his birthday, Jimmy’s eldest grandson, Jason Carter, shared an update on his grandfather’s health.
“He’s very limited in what he can do,” Jason told CBS News. “He can’t talk on the phone.” He also said his grandfather was “excited” to vote in the upcoming presidential election.
Jimmy’s longtime wife, Rosalynn Carter, died on November 19, 2023, at age 96. The pair got married in 1946.
“After 77 years of marriage … I just think none of us really understand what it’s like for him right now,” Jason said after Rosalynn’s death. “We have to embrace that fact, that there’s things about the spirit that you just can’t understand.”
Jason opened up about visiting his grandfather and said they watched a Braves game together.
“I told him, I said: ‘Pawpaw, you know, when people ask me how you’re doing I say, ‘honestly I don’t know,’” he shared. “And he kind of smiled and he said ‘I don’t know, myself.’”
“It was pretty sweet,” Jason said.
Jimmy appeared at Rosalynn’s funeral, marking the touching end of their nearly eight-decade love story. The Carters welcomed four children together: sons John William “Jack,” James Earl “Chip,” Donnel Jeffrey “Jeff” and daughter Amy Carter.
“He’s coming to the end, and he’s very, very physically diminished,” Jason told The New York Times before his grandmother’s funeral service. “He has been this moral rock for so many people, but she really was that rock for him.”
After Jimmy went into hospice, Jason reflected on his grandfather’s life and legacy.
“It’s been 19 months since he went into hospice, and he’s really in the same situation,” he said. “And all of us are amazed by the longevity of this period for him, this period of reflection for us and for everyone else. But there’s still been virtually no change at all. And we’re still just excited to have as much of him as we do.”
He also shared some of his greatest memories and proudest moments with his grandfather.
“One of the great joys for me, you know, not everybody gets to experience their grandfather until they’re almost 50 years old,” Jason said. “You know, my children are 18 and 15, they have really long, deep memories of their great-grandfather. Those personal relationships are real and impactful just in that way, you know.”
“I mean, the things that I think about that stopped me in my tracks about my grandfather are not about public legacy, but they’re about, you know, going fishing or, you know, him teaching my kids how to, you know, shoot a gun or how to clean a catfish,” he added. “You know, I mean, those are the things that are the personal side for me that stop me.”
