What's happened
Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of JFK, was diagnosed with incurable myeloid leukemia in May 2024, shortly after childbirth. Despite undergoing multiple treatments, she has been told she has less than a year to live. She criticizes policies that cut funding for cancer research and reflects on her family’s history of tragedy.
What's behind the headline?
Tatiana Schlossberg's case highlights the ongoing challenges of treating rare blood cancers, especially those resistant to standard therapies. Her criticism of policies reducing funding for mRNA vaccine research underscores a broader debate about government priorities in health innovation. Her family’s history of tragedy, including JFK's assassination and her grandmother's cancer, adds a layer of historical resonance. Her reflections on her prognosis and fears of memory loss emphasize the personal toll of terminal illness, while her public critique may influence policy discussions on research funding and healthcare priorities. This story exemplifies how personal health crises can intersect with political and societal debates, potentially shaping future policy directions.
What the papers say
The Mirror reports Tatiana Schlossberg's diagnosis and personal reflections, emphasizing her family background and treatment journey. Sky News highlights her criticism of policies backed by RFK Jr., linking her health struggles to broader political debates. The New York Times and AP News detail her medical history, diagnosis, and emotional reflections, providing a comprehensive view of her condition and family context. The Independent and NY Post focus on her fears of memory loss and her critique of vaccine policy cuts, illustrating the intersection of personal health and political controversy.
How we got here
Tatiana Schlossberg was diagnosed with a rare mutation of acute myeloid leukemia in May 2024, after her white blood cell count was found to be abnormally high following her second childbirth. Her diagnosis comes amid longstanding family history of tragedy, including her grandfather JFK's assassination and her grandmother Jacqueline Kennedy's death from cancer. She has undergone chemotherapy, two stem cell transplants, and participated in clinical trials, with her doctors now estimating her survival time as less than a year.
Go deeper
More on these topics
-
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963.
-
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author, attorney, and diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017. She is a member of the Kennedy family and the only surviving child of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Ja
-
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterized by the rapid growth of abnormal cells that build up in the bone marrow and blood and interfere with normal blood cell production. Symptoms may include feeling tired
-
Edwin Arthur Schlossberg is an American designer, author, and artist. He specializes in designing interactive experiences, beginning in 1977 with the first hands-on learning environment in the U.S. for the Brooklyn Children's Museum.