Tatiana Schlossberg, the 35-year-old journalist and granddaughter of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, has disclosed that she is battling terminal cancer. In a candid essay published in The New Yorker, Schlossberg shared her experience with acute myeloid leukemia, a diagnosis that came after her second child was born in 2022.
The alarming discovery occurred when her doctor identified an abnormality in her white blood cell count shortly after the birth of her daughter. Schlossberg learned she has a rare genetic mutation known as “Inversion 3.” Reflecting on the moment she received the diagnosis, she stated, “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 wasn’t sick. I didn’t feel sick.”
After the diagnosis, Schlossberg spent five weeks at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City before transferring to Memorial Sloan Kettering for a bone-marrow transplant. Following the transplant, she underwent chemotherapy at home and joined a clinical trial for CAR-T-cell therapy, an advanced immunotherapy treatment for certain blood cancers, in January 2023. Unfortunately, doctors have informed her that she may only have about a year to live.
Schlossberg expressed gratitude for the support of her family during this challenging time. “George did everything for me that he possibly could. He talked to all the doctors and insurance people that I didn’t want to talk to; he slept on the floor of the hospital,” she explained, referring to her partner. She also mentioned her parents and siblings, who have been instrumental in raising her children and providing emotional support throughout her ordeal. “They have held my hand unflinchingly while I have suffered, trying not to show their pain and sadness in order to protect me from it,” she added.
In her essay, Schlossberg poignantly reflected on the importance of creating lasting memories with her children. “Sometimes I trick myself into thinking I’ll remember this forever, I’ll remember this when I’m dead. Obviously, I won’t. But since I don’t know what death is like and there’s no one to tell me what comes after it, I’ll keep pretending. I will keep trying to remember,” she wrote.
Tatiana Schlossberg, born in May 1990, has established herself as a climate change and environmental journalist, continuing the legacy of her famous family. Her open discussion of her health challenges sheds light on the personal impacts of serious illness and highlights the importance of family support during difficult times.
