Jimmy Carter makes first public appearance following brain surgery

PLAINS, Ga. (UPI) — Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has made his first public appearance since undergoing brain surgery in November, attending church services in Plains. The 95-year-old ex-president and his wife, Rosalynn, were seated in the front row of the Maranatha Baptist Church Sunday, marking Carter’s first public appearance following a Nov. 11 procedure to vent pressure caused by a subdural hematoma. The brain surgery came after multiple falls. He was discharged from another Georgia hospital in October after a fractured pelvis. A fall on Oct. 6 led to 14 stitches in his forehead and a black eye. In May, he underwent surgery to repair a broken hip. After recovering from the brain procedure, Carter was again briefly hospitalized this month for a urinary tract infection. At Sunday’s church service, the Rev. Tony Lowden acknowledged the Carters’ presence, telling the congregation, “We have a saying here at Maranatha — we love you, and there ain’t nothing you can do about it.” Carter and the former first lady greeted Maranatha’s parishioners, smiled and posed for pictures after the service. At 95, Carter is the oldest living U.S. president in history. He has also survived brain and liver cancer. Reporting by Don Jacobson