Joy Turns to Shock
Tatiana Schlossberg, 35, granddaughter of President John F. Kennedy, expected only happiness on the day she welcomed her second child. Hours later, doctors delivered a devastating diagnosis. The environmental journalist and author shared her story in a personal essay for The New Yorker on November 22, 2025.
She and her husband, George Moran, now face an unimaginable challenge as parents of a toddler son and a newborn daughter. “I was actually one of the healthiest people I knew,” Schlossberg wrote. A lifelong athlete, she had even swum a mile the day before giving birth. Yet, a routine post-delivery blood test revealed a dangerously high white blood cell count.
A Rare and Aggressive Cancer
Further testing confirmed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a rare and aggressive blood cancer. Her case included a mutation known as Inversion 3, making treatment even more difficult.
Her newborn daughter was just hours old when doctors pulled Schlossberg away for emergency evaluation. Suddenly, the excitement of motherhood turned into a fight for survival. Her two-year-old son visited her daily during hospital stays at Columbia-Presbyterian and Memorial Sloan Kettering.
Harsh Treatments and Relapses
Over the past year, Schlossberg endured high-dose chemotherapy, two bone marrow transplants, a CAR-T immunotherapy clinical trial, and complications affecting her lungs and liver. “After a few days, I couldn’t speak or swallow because of sores in my mouth; food turned to dust on my tongue,” she wrote. Despite aggressive treatment, her cancer relapsed multiple times. In fall 2025, doctors warned they could only hold the disease at bay for about a year.
Tatiana Schlossberg as seen in a post dated November 22, 2025. | Source: Instagram/newyorkermag
Staying Present for Her Children
Throughout her illness, Schlossberg’s thoughts remained on her children. She reflected on memories and the legacy she wants to leave, especially for her daughter, who may never remember her. “Maybe my brain is replaying my life now because I have a terminal diagnosis, and all these memories will be lost,” she wrote. Her essay blends gratitude for caregivers with raw honesty about the cruelty of limited time.
A Family Defined by Resilience
Schlossberg’s diagnosis echoes her family’s history of tragedy. Her grandmother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, died from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1994. Schlossberg married George Moran, now a doctor, in 2017. Moran has been her anchor—managing care, sleeping on hospital floors, and returning home each night to care for their children.
Facing a Complex Future
Beyond her personal struggle, Schlossberg worries about the broader future of medicine. Her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was recently appointed to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, despite his controversial views on vaccines. She fears cuts to federal medical research could affect access to life-saving treatments like the ones sustaining her.
Finding Strength in Small Moments
Even with her disease recurring, Schlossberg remains committed to her children and her life. She focuses on what she can control: naming her reality, cherishing routines, and leaning on those who have supported her through the hardest months. In the midst of heartbreak, she continues to fight, holding onto every possible moment with her family.
