Caroline Kennedy became emotional while publicly honoring her late daughter, Tatiana Schlossberg, during the 2026 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award ceremony.
Schlossberg, a granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy and daughter of Kennedy and designer Edwin Schlossberg, died on Dec. 30, 2025, at age 35 after battling acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer.
Weeks before her death, Schlossberg disclosed her diagnosis in a personal essay published in The New Yorker, detailing her treatment journey and the challenges of confronting a terminal illness while raising two young children.
Addressing attendees on May 31 at the annual ceremony held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Kennedy welcomed family members and guests before turning to her daughter’s memory.
“Politics is a family endeavor, and I’m so grateful to the members of my family who are here tonight and whose support over many years has kept my father’s spirit alive and made this institution a living memorial,” Kennedy said.
She also recognized new attendees, including Garrett and Mary Moran, the parents of Schlossberg’s husband, Dr. George Moran, before offering a tribute to her daughter.
“Most of all, we remember Tatiana, who served on the board of this library, and represented everything my parents stood for in her beautiful, amazing, and too-short life,” Kennedy said, her voice wavering.
The audience responded with prolonged applause, prompting Kennedy to quietly thank those gathered as she composed herself.
Schlossberg died weeks after she publicly shared details of her illness in The New Yorker. In the essay, she recalled the shock of learning she had leukemia shortly after the birth of her second child in 2024.
“I did not—could not—believe that they were talking about me,” she wrote.
As her condition worsened, Schlossberg reflected on the possibility that her children might grow up without memories of her.
“During the latest clinical trial, my doctor told me that he could keep me alive for a year, maybe,” she wrote. “My first thought was that my kids, whose faces live permanently on the inside of my eyelids, wouldn’t remember me.”
She later wrote that her focus had shifted away from future plans and toward time with loved ones.
“Mostly I try to live and be with them now,” Schlossberg wrote.
Her brother, Jack Schlossberg, also reflected on her influence during a March interview with CBS Sunday Morning. Recalling their final conversation about his run for Congress, he said, “The last thing that she said to me was, ‘You better win.’” He added, “No one knew me better, and I knew no one better than her.”
Friends Read Free
Copy
Facebook
Tweet
