At a Glance
- Tatiana Schlossberg, 35, has died.
- She battled acute myeloid leukemia and terminal cancer.
- She was the granddaughter of former President John F. Kennedy.
- Why it matters: Her death marks a loss for the Kennedy family and the environmental journalism community.
Tatiana Schlossberg, a prominent environmental journalist and granddaughter of former President John F. Kennedy, died at 35 after a year-long battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Her death was announced by her family through the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.
The Life and Legacy of Tatiana Schlossberg
Schlossberg was a reporter for the science section of News Of Austin and authored the award-winning book Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don’t Know You Have. She was also a News Of Austin essayist, publishing A Battle With My Blood in November 2025 where she detailed her cancer journey.
- Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in May 2024 at age 34.
- Underwent chemotherapy, two stem-cell transplants, and clinical trials.
- In her essay she noted a doctor’s warning: “he could keep me alive for a year, maybe.”
Personal Reflections and Critiques
The family statement read:
> “Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,”
The essay also criticized policies backed by her mother’s cousin, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., saying they could harm cancer patients. She wrote:
> “As I spent more and more of my life under the care of doctors, nurses, and researchers striving to improve the lives of others, I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers,”
She also reflected on her personal life:
> “For my whole life, I have tried to be good, to be a good student and a good sister and a good daughter, and to protect my mother and never make her upset or angry,”
> “Now I have added a new tragedy to her life, to our family’s life, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
Key Takeaways
- Tatiana Schlossberg died at 35 after battling acute myeloid leukemia.
- She was a noted environmental journalist and part of the Kennedy family.
- Her public essays highlighted the personal toll of cancer and critiqued political policies affecting research funding.
Her passing is a profound loss for journalism, cancer advocacy, and the legacy of the Kennedy family.
