Political history is full of curious and intimate moments, but the episode involving the 39th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter, stands apart. It is a story of how an ordinary medical condition turned into a matter of international diplomacy — and even faith.
In 1978, at the height of his only presidential term, Jimmy Carter faced an extremely delicate and painful problem: a severe flare-up of hemorrhoids, a condition that can turn a person’s life into a nightmare. For Carter, that nightmare struck at the worst possible moment—during the annual White House Christmas party. Thousands of guests were in attendance when the president suddenly felt a sharp pain and was forced to leave the celebration abruptly.
That evening, Carter did not disclose the true reason for his departure, citing pressing business instead. While the White House had generally been open about Carter’s health, this particular episode remained out of the public eye for a long time. Only decades later, in his 2001 memoirs, did the former president admit that the reason he vanished from the Christmas party was unbearable pain. By early 1979, the situation had become so serious that the White House press office was forced to announce officially that the president might require surgery.
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But let us return to the Christmas party, because this is where international politics entered the story. Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, upon learning of his American counterpart’s hemorrhoids, chose to approach the matter spiritually. He publicly urged the citizens of Egypt to pray for Carter’s recovery. What happened next, Jimmy Carter later described as a genuine miracle. The day after Christmas, the pain suddenly subsided. Carter sincerely believed that it was the collective prayers of the Egyptian people that brought him the long-awaited relief.
This awkward yet deeply human story reminds us that even the leaders of superpowers are not immune to earthly frailties — and that support, even in the form of prayers from another nation, can come from the most unexpected place.
