Jimmy Carter’s youngest son Jeff, 72, reveals he’s been living with Parkinson’s disease

Jimmy Carter’s youngest son Jeff is quietly living with Parkinson’s disease.

The 72-year-old has kept his condition out of the public eye until it was confirmed by People Magazine on Tuesday.

‘We know that [Parkinson’s] It’s a one-way street,” said his son Josh, 40.

‘My father currently lives alone, he can take care of himself, he is independent, but he built his house knowing that one day he will need more help.

“He’s not very open about it because he doesn’t want to be the face of anything,” Josh continued Monday during the United Nations’ International Day of Older Persons celebration.

“It’s just true, Parkinson’s sucks. It is a hard disease. It’s a difficult diagnosis.’

To control his condition, he receives deep brain stimulation treatments. It has helped him manage his condition.

“He can literally control his brain with his iPhone, which is wild. Without his therapy, he basically can’t do anything,” Josh continued.

“And then when he turns his therapy back on with his phone, he can get up, he can walk around, he can hold a drink without spilling it, he can eat, he can communicate. It’s a day and night shift.’

Last week, Jimmy Carter turned 100 years old and expressed his birthday wish: vote for Kamala Harris.

The 39th president is already the longest-lived in US history and is now the first to reach a centenary.

When he entered hospice care at home in Georgia in 2023, it was thought he had only days to live.

But he has reportedly “perked up” in recent months and told his grandchildren that his new goal is to make it to Election Day and vote for the Democratic candidate.

His vote could be important as Georgia is a key swing state, with polls showing him on a razor’s edge between Harris and Donald Trump. In 2020, Biden defeated Trump by just 12,000 votes.

According to his family, Carter is following the election and respects his friend Joe Biden’s decision to step aside.

Harris has called several times and the ex-president has developed a “real personal relationship” with her, his grandson Jason Carter told the New York Times.

The former president is “compelled by her story as a true example of the American dream,” the younger Carter said.

Carter’s last public appearance was almost a year ago, at the funeral of his beloved wife Rosalynn.

They were the longest married first couple, having been married for 77 years.

Carter had a “low period” afterward, but is now “reengaged in the world,” his grandson told the New York Times.

“I think we’re all surprised to see him still leaving.” He could very well be immortal, said Jason Carter.

His birthday was celebrated in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he lives, with a population of 500.

Celebrations included a flyover by military aircraft, a concert and a naturalization ceremony for 100 new U.S. citizens.

According to his family, Carter now spends his time at home listening to music, including Bob Dylan, and following the Atlanta Braves.

Earlier in September, a star-studded concert was held at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, raising $1.2 million to support the international programs of The Carter Center, which Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter founded in 1982 to “make peace, fight disease and build hope’.

Meanwhile, thousands of Habitat for Humanity volunteers recently gathered to build 30 homes over five days in St. Paul, Minnesota, led by country music giants Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, who worked with the Carters for years, starting with Hurricane projects. The Katrina disaster area.

Presidential historian Cassandra Newby-Alexander, a Virginia Black professor of history and culture at Norfolk State University, said the strength of Carter’s legacy lies in his morality.

She said, “I think he’s probably done more personally in his post-presidency than anyone else because he’s not looking for attention.

‘He wants to change things. He’s not trying to make money for himself. He tries to live the life of a Christian, a real Christian, someone who cares about the poor, the homeless and the children.”

She added, “In many ways, he set the standard for how presidents should behave after their presidency, as someone who will continue to do good, someone who will continue to have a positive impact on society.”

In addition to President Carter’s 100 years as a U.S. Navy submariner, peanut farmer and successful businessman, governor of Georgia and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.