HYANNIS, MASS. (WHDH) - Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was hospitalized after suffering a stroke, according to her family.
Kennedy, 96, had the stroke in her sleep on Thursday morning and was taken to an area hospital, where she remained Tuesday night, according to grandson Former Rep. Joe Kennedy III.
“She is comfortable, she is getting the best care possible, and she is surrounded by family,” he said in a statement on X. “She is, as you may know, a strong woman who has led a remarkably fulfilling life. We are here looking after her.”
The longtime Hyannis resident was married to former Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. She and Bobby had 11 children together, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who until recently was running for president as a third-party candidate.
She was by her husband’s side when he was gunned down while campaigning for president in 1968.
In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Kennedy the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Obama said she deserved the honor for her dedication to advancing the causes of social justice and environmental protection.
Throughout her life, the Kennedy matriarch has been a fierce advocate for civil and human rights.
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