Ethel Kennedy, matriarch of one of America’s most famous political families, has been hospitalized after a stroke, her family said Tuesday.
The 96-year-old widow of slain Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and mother of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sleeping on Thursday when she had the stroke, and is now receiving treatment at a hospital, according to a statement from her grandson, former Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy III.
“She is comfortable, she is getting the best care possible and she is surrounded by family,” the statement says. “She is, as you may know, a strong woman who has led a remarkably fulfilling life. We are here looking after her.”
She spent the summer enjoying time with her large family, her grandson said.
Ethel Kennedy had 11 children between 1951 and 1968. Her last child was born six months after her husband was fatally shot at a Los Angeles hotel.
Months after Robert F. Kennedy’s death, she helped found a human rights center in her husband’s name dedicated to advancing his legacy.
In 2014, former President Barack Obama awarded Ethel Kennedy the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor given by the U.S. government, for her work on several causes, including human rights, environment protection and social justice.
