Tatiana Schlossberg’s emotional essay raises awareness of rare leukaemia

Tatiana Schlossberg, granddaughter of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, has moved the nation with her poignant essay detailing her diagnosis of terminal cancer shortly after the birth of her second child. Published in *The New Yorker*, the 35-year-old revealed her fight against acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive and often treatment-resistant blood cancer, with a prognosis of less than a year to live. Her story has not only touched hearts but also underscored the urgent need for increased funding and research into rare and deadly cancers. Schlossberg’s diagnosis came in May 2024, following an abnormally high white blood cell count detected after childbirth. Despite considering herself exceptionally healthy, she was confronted with a rare subtype of AML, known as Inversion 3, which affects only 1-2% of AML patients and has limited effective therapies. Her treatment journey included bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and participation in a clinical trial for CAR-T-cell therapy, a groundbreaking immunotherapy. However, even these advanced treatments offered little hope for remission. In her essay, Schlossberg also criticized her cousin, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for slashing nearly half a billion dollars in funding for mRNA research, a technology with potential applications in cancer treatment. Kennedy’s decision, rooted in skepticism of mRNA technology, has reportedly created a chilling effect across the research community, deterring scientists from pursuing innovative clinical trials. Physicians and researchers have praised Schlossberg’s courage in sharing her story, emphasizing that her access to top-tier care highlights the broader need for improved screening tools and treatments for all patients. Her battle serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of sustained investment in biomedical research to combat deadly diseases like AML.