HEALTH
Barbara Bush, former first lady, dies at 92
Apr 17, 2018, 7:02 PM | Updated: Apr 18, 2018, 8:52 am
HOUSTON — A family spokesperson for Barbara Bush announced the former first lady died at the age of 92 Tuesday.
She passed away after opting to not have further medical treatments for her failing health. She battled congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which forced several trips to the hospital. According to a release by the office of former President George H.W. Bush she decided she wanted to be “surrounded by a family she adores” rather than seek more treatment.
BREAKING: Former first Lady Barbara Bush has died at age 92, family spokesperson says. https://t.co/O0pXTKDQ3y pic.twitter.com/BKWVgKF1WY
— ABC News (@ABC) April 17, 2018
She is only the second woman in American history to have both a husband and a son elected as President (Abigail Adams was first). She served as the country’s first lady from 1989-1993 and she is the mother of former President George W. Bush.
During her time at the White House she championed for global literacy. In 1989, she formed the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. This foundation encourages parents to read to their children.
“George Bush and I know the frustration of living with an undiagnosed or untreated learning problem, and we know the great joy and relief that comes when help is finally found,” she wrote in a 1989 edition of “Their World,” a publication of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. “I foresee the day when no American — neither child nor adult — will ever need to be limited on learning.”
The family spokesperson said the funeral arrangements “will be announced as soon as is practical.”
