Tatiana Schlossberg, the beloved granddaughter of former President John F. Kennedy, shared devastating news over the weekend—she has been given less than a year to live following a cancer diagnosis.
This poignant update comes from the 35-year-old journalist, who detailed her struggle in an essay published in The New Yorker. Just ten minutes after welcoming her second child, a baby girl, in May 2024, doctors informed her that her white blood cell count was concerningly abnormal.
In her heartfelt write-up, Schlossberg revealed that she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, which has an unusual mutation known as Inversion 3. She expressed her disbelief at the situation, stating, “I just couldn’t believe this was happening to me.”
Lamenting the timing, Schlossberg wrote about her two precious kids, saying how blindsided she felt: “I have a son whom I love dearly and a newborn to look after.”
After undergoing numerous clinical trials and two transplants, her doctor realistically told her he could potentially extend her life by just a year.
A New Wave of Heartbreak for the Kennedy Legacy
As the second child of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, Schlossberg sought treatment at the renowned Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC. In her essay, she candidly discussed the burden of adding yet another tragedy to the Kennedy family saga, grappling with feelings of guilt.
“For my whole life, I have tried to be a good person—a good student, sister, and daughter,” she reflected. “Now, I’ve added a new tragedy to my mother’s life, and there is nothing I can do to change it.”
Caroline Kennedy, who once served as the U.S. ambassador to both Australia and Japan, has faced profound loss throughout her life. Her father, JFK, was assassinated on November 22, 1963, and on the same day 62 years later, Schlossberg announced her own cancer battle through her moving essay. Additionally, she lost her uncle Bobby Kennedy to violence in 1968.
The Kennedy family’s history of heartache continues, with Caroline’s mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, passing from Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1994, and her brother, John F. Kennedy Jr., tragically dying in a plane accident in 1999.
Maria Shriver, Kennedy’s cousin, took to social media, encouraging followers to read Schlossberg’s impactful story and relishing the essence captured in her beautiful writing. She urged everyone to be thankful for life’s moments.
Creating Cherished Memories
In her touching essay, Schlossberg expressed her family’s unease regarding her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s role as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Her commentary addressed concerns about severe budget cuts to research on mRNA vaccines that adversely impacted many health initiatives, stating that lives could be changed and thousands of grants halted because of these changes.
She worried specifically about the future of women’s healthcare, recounting a critical moment when she was administered misoprostol to prevent postpartum hemorrhage. The drug is currently under FDA scrutiny at her cousin’s behest, highlighting the harmful implications for women’s health overall.
Ultimately, Schlossberg focused on the intimate reflections of her family life—savoring moments with her brilliant husband whom she describes affectionately and contemplating her two young children growing up without her presence.
“I do my best to stay current with their lives and fill them with cherished memories,” she shared, acknowledging the struggle to grasp every poignant moment despite the looming uncertainty. “Sometimes I convince myself that I’ll remember all this forever, even when I’m no longer here.”
