Former Planned Parenthood president and women’s rights activist, Cécile Richards has been confirmed dead, according to her family in a statement.
She died at 67, just hours before Trump’s inauguration as the 47th sitting president of the United States.
“This morning our beloved Cecile passed away at home, surrounded by her family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie. Our hearts are broken today but no words can do justice to the joy she brought to our lives,” her family wrote in a statement on social media.
Richards had been battling with glioblastoma, a terminal type of brain cancer without any chances of survival. While her doctors and medical practitioners did everything to prevent the unimaginable, Cécile had between 12-18 months.
“There’s been highs and lows, but I feel really fortunate to have health care that is first class living in New York City,” Richards told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “It’s made me appreciate how much all people need health care.”
Keeping in mind her struggles with a terminal condition, Cécile began to focus her energy on things she was most passionate about, getting the female citizens of the United States to the point where they could decide what to do with reproduction.
Cécile was the president of Planned Parenthood from 2006 to 2018, and she took it to the top, helping the organization establish about 600 health centers providing thorough and affordable reproductive care and education.
In a statement on social media, Planned Parenthood said they were heartbroken to lose a giant in the fight for reproductive freedom.
“Cecile Richards was an indomitable force,” the groups said.
“In her 12 devoted years of service to our organization, Cecile brought Planned Parenthood Federation of America to new heights in our health care, education, and advocacy work. She led us through fights that transformed the reproductive health and rights landscape and made Planned Parenthood Action Fund the advocacy and political force that it remains to this day.”
