(Getty)
Barbara Bush, the legendary Bush family matriarch, was only the second woman in history to be both the mother and wife of U.S. presidents. She has died at the age of 92, leaving behind a legacy of her own, through her championing of literary. She is known for her sharp wit, her loyalty, and her ever-present strand of pearls.
“A former first lady of the United States of America and relentless proponent of family literacy, Barbara Pierce Bush passed away on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 at the age of 92,” the statement read.
Statement by the Office of @GeorgeHWBush on the passing of Barbara Pierce Bush this evening at the age of 92.
What was her cause of death? How did the beloved former First Lady die? Her official cause of death has not yet been released. However, she had been in failing health for some time, and she was struggling with a chronic lung ailment and congestive health failure. These conditions led the former First Lady to conclude that she no longer wanted to be hospitalized toward the end of her days, opting instead for what a spokesperson deemed “comfort care” at the Bush home in Houston, Texas.
Barbara Bush was suffering from congestive heart failure and COPD and no longer wished to go back to the hospital, according to CNN.
According to the Mayo Clinic, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) “is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs. Symptoms include breathing difficulty, cough, mucus (sputum) production and wheezing.” It can lead to heart failure over time. It’s a treatable and chronic condition, but the symptoms are known to worsen over time, Mayo Clinic reports.
Former President George H.W. Bush (L) and former first lady Barbara Bush (C) point from their seats on day two of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Xcel Energy Center on September 2, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
She was born Barbara Pierce on June 8, 1925, in New York City, the former First Lady of the United States met her future husband, George H.W. Bush, when she was a teenager and would forge a partnership with him that lasted 73 years, the longest of any presidential couple. She and Abigail Adams share the distinction of being the only women to both marry and birth a president of the United States. In addition to being the wife of former President George H.W. Bush, she is the mother of former President George W. Bush.
Both Barbara and George H.W. Bush had been in failing health in recent years, but the First Lady’s situation took a turn for the worse on April 15, 2018, as prayers flooded in for the Bushes from around the nation. “If human beings are perceived as potentials rather than problems, as possessing strengths instead of weaknesses, as unlimited rather that dull and unresponsive, then they thrive and grow to their capabilities,” says a quote attributed to Barbara Bush on her biography page at her husband’s presidential library.
U.S. President George Bush (C), First Lady Barbara Bush (R) and Vice President Dan Quayle (L) wave to a welcoming crowd 04 November 1992 at the White House.
The 92-year-old First Lady was in failing health and decided to stop receiving any further medical care, transitioning to “comfort care,” according to a statement from the Office of George H.W. Bush, which was released on April 15, 2018. That was the first clue to the public that Barbara Bush might not have much time left, and it spurred many well wishes on social media.
The beloved Bush family matriarch was hospitalized in the past, when both she and her husband, the former president, developed medical issues. However, this sounded more serious from the start. You can read the Bush statement on the First Lady’s health here:
Statement by the Office of George H. W. Bush on the health of former First Lady Barbara Bush.
The statement read:
Following a recent series of hospitalizations, and after consulting her family and doctors, Mrs. Bush, now age 92, has decided not to seek additional medical treatment and will instead focus on comfort care. It will not surprise those who know her that Barbara Bush has been a rock in the face of her failing health, worrying not for herself – thanks to her abiding faith – but for others. She is surrounded by a family she adores, and appreciates the many kind messages and especially the prayers she is receiving.
In 2017, both Barbara and George H.W. Bush ended up in the hospital. “Mrs. Bush was admitted to the Houston Methodist Hospital this morning as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing,” a Bush family spokesperson said at that time. However, the First Lady was eventually discharged and seemed to recover. In 2017, George W. Bush gave an update on both of his parents’ health conditions.
Former President George W. Bush gives an update on his parents’ health and says he looks forward to representing them at the #Inauguration
Both Bushes recovered enough from the 2017 medical crisis to participate in the coin toss for Super Bowl 2017.
