JFK’s Granddaughter reveals terminal cancer diagnosis

 Tatiana Schlossberg, the 35-year-old environmental journalist and granddaughter of former President John F. Kennedy, disclosed on Saturday, November 22 that she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, with her doctor estimating she has less than a year to live. In a deeply personal essay published in The New Yorker, Schlossberg, the daughter of former US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, wrote that the illness was discovered in May 2024, hours after she gave birth to her daughter. Doctors noticed an abnormally high white blood cell count, which led to the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a rare mutation known as Inversion 3. This genetic anomaly is found in less than 2% of AML cases and is associated with a poor prognosis. Schlossberg recounted her initial shock: I did not could not believe that they were talking about me. I had swum a mile in the pool the day before, nine months pregnant. I wasnt sick. I didnt feel sick. I was actually one of the healthiest people I knew. Her essay documents the grueling treatment process, which has included multiple rounds of chemotherapy, two bone-marrow transplants (one from her sister), and participation in two clinical trials. She also detailed severe complications, including a diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus that “blasted my kidneys” and the need to learn how to walk again due to muscle wastage. Schlossbergs diagnosis adds a painful new chapter to her familys history of tragedy. She described the emotional weight of her diagnosis, writing that she regrets adding to the sorrow of her mother and the rest of her family. For my whole life, I have tried to be good, to be a good student and a good sister and a good daughter, and to protect my mother and never make her upset or angry, she wrote. Now I have added a new tragedy to her life, to our familys life, and theres nothing I can do to stop it.Schlossberg also used the essay to critique her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was recently confirmed as the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. She described his policies as placing a strain on the nation’s healthcare system and scientific research. As I spent more and more of my life under the care of doctors, nurses, and researchers striving to improve the lives of others, I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers, she wrote. She noted that the federal funding cuts initially impacted the medical center where she was being treated, making the system she relied on feel “strained, shaky.” She and her husband, George Moran, have a 3-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter. She praised her siblingsRose, a filmmaker, and Jack, who recently announced a run for Congress for helping to raise her children and providing unwavering support throughout her illness. The post JFKs Granddaughter reveals terminal cancer diagnosis appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.