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Kennedy Family to 'Defy the Odds'

Posted on: Wednesday, 28 May 2008, 15:00 CDT

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy speaks optimistically about his family's history with cancer and his father's diagnosis.

CENTRAL FALLS -- Despite numerous bouts with cancer, the Kennedy family "managed to defy the odds every single time and we're going to work to do that again," U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy said yesterday, publicly commenting on his father's cancer diagnosis for the first time in Rhode Island.

"All we know in our family is that whenever doctors give us terrible news, we don't believe it. We just go and fight it."

Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital last week diagnosed U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., with a brain tumor after the 76- year-old senator had suffered a seizure.

Patrick Kennedy's brother, Edward Jr., lost a leg to cancer in his teens; his sister, Kara Kennedy, was diagnosed several years ago with lung cancer, but has responded to treatment. Joan Bennett Kennedy, the congressman's mother and the senator's former wife, has had breast cancer.

"When my brother was first diagnosed they gave him very little hope, but my father gave him all the hope in the world," said the Rhode Island congressman. "And my brother is alive and well with beautiful children and has the rest of his future ahead of him. My sister had lung cancer, which is very deadly, and people give very low prospects for. And she's cancer free and alive and well today."

Kennedy's remarks came at a packed news conference at the offices of the services agency Progreso Latino. The official occasion for the event was his announcement of a $182,000 federal grant for an entrepreneurial training program run in partnership by Progreso Latino and the Rhode Island Small Business Development Center, at Johnson & Wales University. But the media was tipped in advance that the congressman would also in some way address his father's illness.

Normally very accessible to local reporters, Patrick Kennedy has been sequestered with his family since his father's diagnosis and has declined interview requests passed through his office.

He spoke briefly yesterday about the outpouring of kind words for his father, who has represented the Bay State in the U.S. Senate since 1962.

"When I went back to the floor of the House last week ... it is amazing to me how many people came up to me and told me their own personal stories about how he helped them with a sick loved one in their family, how he made a personal call on behalf of someone, you know, that they cared about deeply," said Kennedy. "It's just been such a moving experience for me because he did so much, so quietly, and now, so much of that is coming out. I'm just so happy that he's had the chance to see how grateful people are for all that he's done for them."

It was back to work for Patrick Kennedy yesterday -- grinning for pictures while posing with an oversized check representing the federal grant for the business training program. It was a routine event for a member of Congress who is expected to deliver for his district, and would have been unlikely to attract much media coverage on its own.

For most of the news conference, the senator's cancer diagnosis was the unmentioned elephant in the room. Patrick Kennedy delivered standard remarks for a Democrat at a federal grant presentation.

He praised the program getting the money: "Because of the challenges we have been facing in our economy as of late, we need these programs more than ever."

He whacked the Bush administration: "It seems to me this is a perfect example where the federal government ... can stimulate the economy in a way that tax cuts for the very wealthy cannot."

He reminded people who's bringing home the bacon: "Being on the Appropriations Committee gives me the opportunity to fight for those ... dollars."

And then, only at the end, did he survey the many eager reporters and numerous TV cameras and dryly add: "I want to thank all the media for their interest in Progreso Latino today. It really means a lot to me that you have taken such an interest in this very important program."

He took three quick questions about his father, before his staff broke up the news conference and Kennedy swiftly exited out a side door.

U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy arrives at yesterday's news conference at the offices of the services agency Progreso Latino. The Providence Journal / Mary Murphy marsenau@projo.com / (401) 277- 7231

Source: Providence Journal

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