Patrick Kennedy says his father is in 'terrific' spirits

Representative Patrick J. Kennedy read "Animal Strike at the Zoo - It's True" to first-graders yesterday in Woonsocket, R.I. (ERNEST A. BROWN/WOONSOCKET CALL VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS)

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. - US Representative Patrick Kennedy made his first public appearance yesterday in his district since his father's diagnosis with brain cancer, striking an upbeat tone as he described how his storied family has consistently overcome dire diseases.

"All we know in our family is when doctors give us terrible news, we don't believe it," Kennedy told two dozen reporters and public officials who crowded the announcement of a routine federal grant. "We fight it, and we've managed to defy the odds every time."

The Democratic congressman's sister, Kara Kennedy, beat inoperable lung cancer. His mother, Joan B. Kennedy, was treated for breast cancer in 2005. His brother, Edward Kennedy Jr., lost a leg to bone cancer in 1973 when he was 12 years old. Patrick Kennedy himself had a brush with mortality when he had a noncancerous tumor removed from his spine in 1988.

Now doctors have told the congressman that his father, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, has a malignant brain tumor.

"All I can say is that when my brother was first diagnosed, they gave him very little hope," Patrick Kennedy said. "But my father gave him all the hope in the world. My brother is alive and well today and has beautiful children."

The congressman said his father is in good spirits. "My dad is terrific," he said. "If you've seen him the last couple days, you've seen a very happy sailor. His only disappointment was that he came in second" in the final leg of the Figawi Race Monday.

The tributes to his father and the personal stories fellow lawmakers have shared about their own battles with cancer have been a "moving experience for me," Patrick Kennedy said. The outpouring from constituents has touched his father and fortified his resolve.

"I'm just glad he has had a chance to see how grateful people are for all he's done," Patrick Kennedy said.

The congressman was speaking at Progreso Latino Inc., a bilingual social services agency where he was announcing an $182,000 federal grant that will be shared with Johnson & Wales University. It was a press conference that would not have typically attracted so many reporters and television cameras.

Patrick Kennedy could not resist a quip. "I especially want to thank all the media for your interest in Progreso Latino," he said, turning to M. Charles Bakst, the influential columnist for the Providence Journal. "It was supposed to be a joke, Charlie."