Betty Ford, the wife of late President Gerald Ford has passed away at the age of 93. The former first lady was known for her outspoken candor in which she left no issue untouched. She stated that living together before marriage might be wise, though women should be drafter into the military if men were, and spoke unapologetically for abortion rights, taking a position contrary to the president’s. “Having babies is a blessing, not a duty,” Mrs. Ford said.
She built a legacy by using examples of horrific details of her own struggles to educate and empower society. In an era when cancer was discussed in hushes tones and mastectomy was still a taboo subject, the first lady shared the specifics of her breast cancer surgery. The publicity helped bring the disease into the open and inspired countless women to seek breast examinations. Her most painful revelation came 15 months after leaving the White House, when Mrs. Ford announced that she was entering treatment for longtime addiction to painkillers and alcohol. She used the story of her own addiction and recovery to crusade for better addiction treatment, especially for women. She co-founded the non-profit Betty Ford Center near the Fords’ home in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in 1982. Mrs. Ford raised millions of dollars for the center, kept close watch of its operations, and regularly welcomed groups of new patients with a speech that started, “Hello, my name’s Betty Ford, and I’m an alcoholic and drug addict.”
Betty Ford has left a legacy of honesty, transparency, candor and the idea that self destruction can be reversed. Mrs. Betty Ford thank you for sharing so much of yourself and empowering others to do the same.
