The 28-year-old grandson of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has died. Carter, 91, made the announcement Sunday during his regular Sunday school lecture at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Ga., after apologizing for being late.
He shared with class members how relatives tried unsuccessfully to revive his grandson, Jeremy, with CPR, reports NBC News.
"When he got ready to eat supper he told his mother that he thought he would lie down awhile," Carter said. "His heart quit beating."
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported that Jeremy was 28. It is unclear what caused his death.
Carter described Jeremy as "a very special child" who was preparing to transfer to a university to be closer to family, stated NBC News. He recalled a long-ago family ski trip to the Saudi Arabian ambassador's mansion in Colorado when, out of the blue, Jeremy asked him about dying.
The fact that the former president appeared at all to church after the heart-breaking development was the real message, attendees said.
"I'm not surprised," Maranatha member Jan Williams told WSB-TV. "That's the kind of Christian he (Jimmy) is. Everything that happens in life, good or bad, he uses as a teaching experience. He lives his life as a lesson for other people to see."
"(President Carter) was shaken. 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," Maranatha Baptist Church Rev. Jeremy Shoulta told CNN.
