Bernie Sanders is still recovering from a heart attack that he suffered a matter of days ago, and now the family is navigating another difficult situation. Reports indicate that the Vermont senator’s daughter-in-law, Dr. Raine Riggs, died last weekend after a very short battle with cancer.
According to the Legacy.com obituary posted via the Observer-Reporter, Riggs passed away last Saturday. She had become ill just three weeks prior to her death and received a diagnosis of neuroendocrine cancer just two days before her passing.
Raine was married to Levi Sanders, Bernie’s son with former wife Susan Campbell Mott. Raine and Levi met while they both worked in Vermont at an emergency food shelter a number of years ago. Heavy notes that the couple adopted three children from China.
Riggs was a neuropsychologist who most recently had been working at Dartmouth Medical School as their director of behavioral medicine. She also owned a Vermont facility named Riggs Geriatric Psychology and founded the Dartmouth Medical Center Palliative Care Department.
According to Raine’s Facebook page, she attended Harvard University to study geriatric neuropsychology. She attended Brown University to study behavioral sleep medicine as well as clinical neuropsychology, and she studied psychology at American University.
Riggs was the valedictorian of her 1990 graduating class at Burgettstown High School and went on to American University from there. Over the course of her studies, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s from Brown, and her doctorate from the University of Vermont.
https://www.facebook.com/LeviSandersForCongress/photos/a.160969124607303/174598009911081/?type=3&theater
While she was studying at Brown, Riggs received an award for her work researching the impact that chemotherapy had on the brain. She volunteered with pediatric hospice and was passionate about working with the homeless, particularly those who had served in the military. Raine also worked at Ground Zero after the September 11 tragedy, counseling families of those lost, first responders, and survivors.
Despite her commitment to her work and volunteering, Raine’s obituary notes that motherhood was what she considered her “crowning achievement.” Raine and Levi adopted Sunnee, Ryleigh, and Grayson Riggs Sanders, and the family loved spending time at the beach together.
Dr. Raine Riggs’ sudden passing comes right after her father-in-law suffered a heart attack. As The Inquisitr previously shared, Bernie Sanders experienced chest pains last week while campaigning in Las Vegas. He underwent surgery at the hospital and his team later revealed that he had a heart attack.
Sanders returned home to Vermont the day before his daughter-in-law passed away. He is reportedly resting and recovering from his heart attack and plans to return to campaigning soon.
