Former President Jimmy Carter may have spent three days in the hospital, but the 94 year-old is expected to teach Sunday school at his beloved Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, this weekend.
Carter was released from the hospital Thursday morning, the Carter Center announced, and will continue to recuperate at home. He was admitted Monday after a fall on his way to go turkey hunting, and later underwent a successful surgery at the Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia.
“He will undergo physical therapy, as part of his recovery from hip replacement surgery. President Carter plans to teach Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church this weekend,” the Carter Center said in a statement.
In March, Carter became the oldest-living former president in US history. The former president fought cancer in his liver and brain, announcing his cancer was gone in 2015. He was hospitalized briefly in 2017 after becoming dehydrated while working on a Habitat for Humanity project in Canada, but has since been in overall good health.
Carter continues to maintain an active lifestyle, and spoke by phone with President Donald Trump on the topic of China trade negotiations last month.
On Monday, the Carter Center said that Carter was more concerned about the impending end of hunting season than the fall.
“President Carter said his main concern is that turkey season ends this week, and he has not reached his limit,” the statement said. “He hopes the State of Georgia will allow him to rollover the unused limit to next year.”
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, 91, also spent time in the hospital this week.
“(She) felt faint and was admitted overnight to the hospital for observation and testing. She left the hospital with President Carter this morning,” the Carter Center statement said.
The Carters extended their thanks “to the many people who sent their well wishes” this week, which included a tweet from Trump himself.
“Wishing former President Jimmy Carter a speedy recovery from his hip surgery earlier today,” the President wrote, adding, “He was in such good spirits when we spoke last month – he will be fine!”
CNN’s Eli Watkins contributed to this report.
