JFK's granddaughter Tatiana Schlossberg reveals terminal cancer diagnosis, slams RFK Jr.’s policies

Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, revealed on Saturday that she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, a form of acute myeloid leukemia, which was identified after the birth of her second child in May 2024. 

Schlossberg shared her journey with the illness, which she was told might only allow her to live for about another year.

Schlossberg, 34, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, said her leukemia diagnosis came as a shock. After a routine check-up following the birth of her son, doctors discovered her white blood cell count was dangerously high. Further tests revealed she had a rare mutation of acute myeloid leukemia, which is a condition that is more commonly found in older adults.

“I’ve been under the care of doctors, nurses, and researchers working tirelessly to improve the lives of others,” Schlossberg wrote in an essay published in The New Yorker.

She argued that the policies of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., her cousin, could hinder medical research and treatment options for patients like herself.

She specifically criticized his role in cutting about $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine research.

“For my whole life, I have tried to be good, to be a good daughter, sister, and student,” Schlossberg wrote. “Now, I have added a new tragedy to my family’s life, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”