Former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards died on Monday at the age of 67 after battling brain cancer.
Her family confirmed her death in a statement, saying she passed away at home “surrounded by 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,” they said, according to NPR.
Richards, daughter of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards (D), revealed in January of 2024 she was living with brain cancer, but vowed to continue her fight for abortion while battling her illness. She had been diagnosed in mid-2023 with an incurable and aggressive ailment called glioblastoma.
Richards oversaw nearly four million abortions while leading Planned Parenthood for 12 years, between 2006 and 2018, according to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
During that time, she massively grew the organization, with the base of donors and volunteers increasing from three million to 11 million, according to the The Texas Tribune. She also raised more money than at any other point in Planned Parenthood’s history and supercharges the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which is the organization’s political advocacy arm.
Richards was at the helm of the organization when Planned Parenthood was accused of illegally harvesting and selling body parts from aborted babies, although the organization denies the allegations. She stepped down in 2018, and still continued to work as an abortion activist.
A few months before her death, outgoing President Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a private ceremony.
The Medal of Freedom is given at the discretion of the president to a civilian who has made an “especially meritorious contribution” to the United States.
“Today, I had the honor of awarding Cecile Richards the Presidential Medal of Freedom. With absolute courage, she fearlessly leads us forward to be the America we say we are – a nation of freedom,” 82-year-old Biden said in a post to X. “Through her work to lift up the dignity of workers, defend and advance women’s reproductive rights and equality, and mobilize Americans to exercise their power to vote, she has carved an inspiring legacy.”
Richards urged women to “be bold” in speaking about their abortions — during a speech at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago in 2024, she said women are “unstoppable” when they are able to have their unborn babies aborted.
“One day, our children and grandchildren may ask us, ‘When it was all on the line, what did you do?’ And the only acceptable answer is, everything we could,” Richards said.
Richards is survived by her husband, Kirk Adams, a labor organizer, and her three children, Daniel, Lily, and Hannah.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/01/20/former-abortion-giant-planned-parenthood-president-cecile-richards-dies-after-battling-brain-cancer/
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