Ethel Kennedy Hospitalized Following Stroke, Daughter Shares: “She Is Surrounded by Family”

Ethel Kennedy has been hospitalized following a stroke, her daughter Kerry Kennedy shared on Tuesday.

Kerry wrote on social media that her mother, who turned 96 in April, “has had a great summer and transition into fall. Every day she enjoyed time with her children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was able to get out on the water, visit the pier, and enjoy many lunches and dinners with family. It has been a gift to all of us and to her as well.”

Ethel suffered a stroke in her sleep last Thursday morning, Kerry wrote. “She was brought to an area hospital, where she is now receiving treatment. She is comfortable, she is getting the best care possible, and she is surrounded by family. She is, as you may know, a strong woman who has led a remarkably fulfilling life. We are here looking after her.”

Kerry concluded her message by writing, “Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. I ask that you respect our family’s privacy at this time.”

Ethel is the oldest living member of the Kennedy family. She is the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, the sister-in-law of President John F. Kennedy, and the mother of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who recently ended his own presidential campaign and endorsed Donald Trump. Her daughter, Kerry, is the president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center of Justice and Human Rights, which Ethel founded in 1968 following her husband’s assassination. Ethel was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2014.