Former US first lady Betty Ford died on Friday at the age of 93, drawing tributes for her inspiring role, notably in helping treat drug and alcohol addicts at her California-based health center.
The widow of former US president Gerald Ford, who died in 2006, was also hailed for campaigning for breast cancer awareness and was outspoken on women’s rights issues.
“Throughout her long and active life, [Betty Ford] distinguished herself through her courage and compassion. As our nation’s first lady, she was a powerful advocate for women’s health and women’s rights,” US President Barack Obama said.
“After leaving the White House, Mrs Ford helped reduce the social stigma surrounding addiction and inspired thousands to seek much-needed treatment,” he added in a statement. “While her death is a cause for sadness, we know that organizations such as the Betty Ford Center will honor her legacy by giving countless Americans a new lease on life.”
US Vice President Joseph Biden said he believed Betty Ford’s work would live on “through the millions of lives she has touched” and many more people who will continue to look to her for inspiration.
Ford died on Friday evening with family at her bedside, according to a family member cited by CNN. Former US president George H.W. Bush said he and his wife Barbara “loved Betty Ford very much.”
“She was a wonderful wife and mother; a great friend; and a courageous first lady. No one confronted life’s struggles with more fortitude or honesty, and as a result, we all learned from the challenges she faced,” Bush said.
Elizabeth “Betty” Ford turned her battles with two devastating illnesses — breast cancer and drug and alcohol addiction — into triumph as she overcame them and went on to help others follow suit.
Speaking openly about her fight with breast cancer and her dependence on prescription drugs and alcohol, Ford removed much of the stigma attached to both illnesses and aided others who were battling the same demons.
She helped create the renowned Betty Ford Center for alcohol and drug rehabilitation in Rancho Mirage, California, where tens of thousands have been treated since 1982.
Born Elizabeth Ann Bloomer on April 8, 1918 in Chicago, Betty Ford, one of three children, grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and studied dance at Bennington College in Vermont.
She divorced her first husband, William Warren, after five years, and began dating then-Navy lieutenant Gerald Ford a short time later. The couple married on Oct. 15, 1948, two weeks before Gerald Ford was elected to Congress.
China’s military news agency yesterday warned that Japanese militarism is infiltrating society through series such as Pokemon and Detective Conan, after recent controversies involving events at sensitive sites. In recent days, anime conventions throughout China have reportedly banned participants from dressing as characters from Pokemon or Detective Conan and prohibited sales of related products. China Military Online yesterday posted an article titled “Their schemes — beware the infiltration of Japanese militarism in culture and sports.” The article referenced recent controversies around the popular anime series Pokemon, Detective Conan and My Hero Academia, saying that “the evil influence of Japanese militarism lives on in
DIPLOMATIC THAW: The Canadian prime minister’s China visit and improved Beijing-Ottawa ties raised lawyer Zhang Dongshuo’s hopes for a positive outcome in the retrial China has overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Schellenberg, a Canadian official said on Friday, in a possible sign of a diplomatic thaw as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to boost trade ties with Beijing. Schellenberg’s lawyer, Zhang Dongshuo (張東碩), yesterday confirmed China’s Supreme People’s Court struck down the sentence. Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014 before China-Canada ties nosedived following the 2018 arrest in Vancouver of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou (孟晚舟). That arrest infuriated Beijing, which detained two Canadians — Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig — on espionage charges that Ottawa condemned as retaliatory. In January
A sign hanging from a rusty ice-green shipping container installed by Thai forces on what they say is the border with Cambodia reads: “Cambodian citizens are strictly prohibited from entering this area.” On opposite sides of the makeshift barricade, fronted by coils of barbed wire, Cambodians lamented their lost homes and livelihoods as Thailand’s military showed off its gains. Thai forces took control of several patches of disputed land along the border during fighting last year, which could amount to several square kilometers in total. Cambodian Kim Ren said her house in Chouk Chey used to stand on what is now the Thai
NEW RULES: There would be fewer school days, four-day workweeks, and a reduction in transportation services as the country battles a crisis exacerbated by US pressure The Cuban government on Friday announced emergency measures to address a crippling energy crisis worsened by US sanctions, including the adoption of a four-day work week for state-owned companies and fuel sale restrictions. Cuban Deputy Prime Minister Oscar Perez-Oliva Fraga blamed Washington for the crisis, telling Cuban television the government would “implement a series of decisions, first and foremost to guarantee the vitality of our country and essential services, without giving up on development.” “Fuel will be used to protect essential services for the population and indispensable economic activities,” he said. Among the new measures are the reduction of the working week in
RSS