Former President Jimmy Carter announced the unexpected death of his 28-year-old grandson, Jeremy Carter. Just hours before Carter would attend church, his grandson passed away. Carter reportedly broke the news at his church in Georgia during his regular Sunday School class.
Carter's grandson had not been feeling well on Saturday and decided to take a nap, according to Jeremy Shoulta, Maranatha Baptist Church Rev. Shoulta toldCNN, "They were trying to keep his heart going and eventually, later in the night or the wee hours of [Sunday] morning, his heart stopped." CNN reports the Carter family tried reviving the younger Carter with CPR before rushing him to the nearest hospital.
"[President Carter] was shaken," Shoulta told CNN. "He was obviously sad although he was able to teach and he was able to present the lesson as well as he always has. But it was apparent to everyone there that this was weighing on him very heavily."
During service, Shoulta asked that churchgoers pray for the Carter family during their time of loss. "Our church plays an important role in his [President Carter's] life and he feels committed to his responsibilities here at the church," Shoulta toldCNN. "His presence at the church today gave him an opportunity to fulfill his obligations to the church and also to feel the loving presence of his faith community."
NBC News notes Carter's tragic loss comes at a time when the former President had recently announced that his cancer treatments had worked and that his struggle with brain cancer was over.
