Tatiana Schlossberg — journalist, environmental author, and granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy — has revealed she is facing terminal cancer. The 35-year-old shared the news in a deeply personal essay published in The New Yorker, detailing her unexpected diagnosis and the emotional journey that followed.
Schlossberg wrote that doctors discovered acute myeloid leukemia shortly after she gave birth to her second child last year. What began as a routine postpartum checkup quickly escalated when her physician noticed abnormal white blood cell levels. Further testing revealed a rare genetic mutation known as Inversion 3, a form of leukemia resistant to standard treatments.
Despite having just swum a mile days before giving birth, she said she felt completely healthy. “I did not — could not — believe that they were talking about me,” she wrote.
A Long and Difficult Medical Journey
After her diagnosis, Schlossberg spent five weeks at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital before transferring to Memorial Sloan Kettering for a bone-marrow transplant. Even then, doctors warned she would not be cured through traditional chemotherapy.
In January, she enrolled in a clinical trial for CAR-T cell therapy, an advanced immunotherapy used to treat certain blood cancers. Despite these efforts, doctors ultimately gave her a prognosis of about one year to live.
Leaning on Family Through the Crisis
Schlossberg credited her husband, George Moran, with supporting her through every step. She described how he handled medical decisions, insurance battles, and even slept on the floor of her hospital room. The couple share a 3-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter.
Her family — including her mother, Caroline Kennedy, and siblings — also stepped in to help care for the children and remain by her side daily throughout her treatment. She expressed profound gratitude for their strength, even as they hid their own pain to protect her.
Facing Mortality With Honesty and Love
In her essay, Schlossberg reflected on the fleeting but precious moments she shares with her children, especially her baby daughter. She described trying to hold onto memories despite knowing she may not have long to make them.
“Sometimes I trick myself into thinking I’ll remember this forever,” she wrote. “I’ll remember this when I’m dead.”
Her candid writing offers a rare and intimate look at a young mother confronting the unimaginable — fighting to preserve memories, protect her family, and find meaning in the time she has left.
