Former President Jimmy Carter recovering in hospital after brain surgery
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks to the congregation at Maranatha Baptist Church before teaching Sunday school in his hometown of Plains, Georgia on April 28, 2019. Carter, 94, has taught Sunday school at the church on a regular basis since (Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Former President Jimmy Carter is recovering at Emory University Hospital after brain surgery Tuesday morning.
Carter was admitted to the Atlanta hospital on Monday evening. According to a spokesperson with the Carter Center, the former president underwent a procedure to relieve pressure on his brain from a subdural hematoma, which was caused by his recent falls.
The spokesperson told FOX 5 that there were no complications from the surgery and he's expected to remain at the hospital for observation.
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"President and Mrs. Carter thank everyone for the many well-wishes they have received," the spokesperson said.
President Carter suffered three falls this year. He first fell in the spring and required hip replacement surgery. Carter fell again October and despite receiving 14 stitches, traveled to Nashville, Tennessee to rally volunteers and help build a Habitat for Humanity home.
He and his wife recently became the longest-married presidential couple, surpassing George and Barbara Bush, with more than 73 years of marriage. The 39th president also survived a dire cancer diagnosis in 2015.
Nearly four decades after he left office and despite his age, the nation's oldest-ever ex-president still teaches Sunday school roughly twice a month at Maranatha Baptist Church in his tiny hometown of Plains in southwest Georgia. His message is unfailingly about Jesus, not himself.
Rev. Tony Lowden, Carter's pastor, said the ex-president was hospitalized Monday on what he called "a rough day."
"We just need the whole country to be in prayer for him," Lowden said in a telephone interview.
SEE ALSO: Former President Jimmy Carter is back teaching Sunday school in Georgia
The 95-year-old former president is said to be "resting comfortably, and his wife, Rosalynn is, is with him."
The Associated Press contributed to this report