Kennedy has malignant brain tumor
By Globe Staff
Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the long-serving liberal icon from Massachusetts who was hospitalized this weekend after suffering a seizure, has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, his doctors revealed today.
"Preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe,'' Dr. Lee Schwamm, vice chairman of the neurology department at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Larry Ronan, Kennedy's doctor, said this afternoon in a statement.
The statement said the usual course of treatment includes combinations of various forms of radiation and chemotherapy.
The doctors said decisions regarding the best course of treatment for Senator Kennedy will be determined after further testing and analysis.
"He has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital. ... Senator Kennedy will remain at Massachusetts General Hospital for the next couple of days according to routine protocol. He remains in good spirits and full of energy," the statement said.
Kennedy's wife and children have been with him each day since he was hospitalized but have made no public statements.
Senate Democrats and Republicans were in their separate weekly policy lunches when word reached them of the diagnosis.
CNN reported there was stunned silence.
Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts said the Kennedys have faced more serious adversity more times than most families face once.
"Everyone of us knows what a big heart this fellow has," Kerry said, calling his colleague a "living legend." "This guy is one unbelievable fighter.. He's in a fighting mood."
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, said he talked to Kennedy's wife, Vicki, and the senator is in good spirits.
"The Senate really is a family," Reid said. "We as a family are tremendously concerned about Senator Kennedy.
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, said colleagues said a prayer for Kennedy and his family. "They have experienced so much tragedy in their lives," he said at a news conference.
Barack Obama, whose presidential bid was lifted in late January by Kennedy's enthusiastic endorsement, said he is saddened by the news, but remains optimistic.
"Ted Kennedy is a fighter," the Democratic front-runner said on CNN. "We want to make sure he's fighting this illness....He's not only a great senator, he's a great friend."
Obama said he would not be running for president if not for voting rights and civil rights battles won by Kennedy. "I stand on his shoulders," Obama said.
Hillary Clinton also offered her support. “Ted Kennedy’s courage and resolve are unmatched, and they have made him one of the greatest legislators in Senate history," she said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with him and Vicki and we are praying for a quick and full recovery.”
Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency, said aboard his Straight Talk Express campaign bus: "I have described Ted Kennedy as the last lion in the Senate." McCain, who has worked across the aisle with Kennedy on several key bills despite their ideological differences, spoke of Kennedy in a voice filled with emotion: "He remains the single most effective member of the Senate if you want to get results. He is not reluctant to share the credit, and if it fails he is willing to take the blame."
Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee chairman and former Vermont governor, issued a statement: "Senator Kennedy is a true American hero and a leader in the Democratic Party, having spent a lifetime standing up for the values of fairness, justice and equality. On behalf of the Democratic Party, we extend our prayers and well wishes to Senator Kennedy, his wife Vicky, and the entire Kennedy family."
President Bush also issued a statement: "Laura and I are concerned to learn of our friend Senator Kennedy's diagnosis. Ted Kennedy is a man of tremendous courage, remarkable strength, and powerful spirit. Our thoughts are with Senator Kennedy and his family during this difficult period. We join our fellow Americans in praying for his full recovery."
Senator Kent Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat, predicted if anyone could overcome the illness Kennedy would. “Look what he’s been through in his life,“ Conrad said, according to CNN.
Senator Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat from New Jersey, said “Ted Kennedy makes the Senate the place that it is and has for so many years,” CNN reported.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Kennedy's son Patrick called her with the news.
"I have confidence because he is a fighter," she said. "I know that fighting spirit will hold him in good stead."
Malignant gliomas are a type of brain cancer diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year -- and the most common type among adults. It's a startling diagnosis: How well patients fare depends on what specific tumor type is found.
Average survival can range from less than a year for very advanced and aggressive types -- such as glioblastomas -- to about five years for different types that are slower-growing.
Material from The Associated Press was included in this report.
May God bless him and heal him. And hopefully this will finally mean that MA can have a new senator. Sorry, but that's how I feel.
I wish Senator Kennedy and his family all the best. Ted's one of a kind--he's irreplaceable.
At least this gives us a chance to thank him for everything he has done for MA and for America before he goes. But his shoes are impossible to fill and he will be very sorely missed by this young liberal.
While I do feel sorry for him and his family, I have to agree with Don in post #1 - it's time for a change. Ted Kennedy has said in the past he wasn't going to run again for his Senate seat, and then stays in the race. Time for new blood. And not a Kennedy.
We need Teddy. He is the voice of reason. He ahs been the voice of sanity for a long time.
Ted and the entire Kennedy family are in my prayers. He has been a servant to this state and country for decades and deserves our thanks and prayers.
Well, Don: you're a jerk. That's how I feel.
Don't worry Don (#1), I'm sure that any pol with campaign chest is plotting on how to run for that seat once it opens up. The honorable Governor might be interested. And how about the State Treasurer, he has a big bankroll and loft ambitions. Don't think that any of the Congressional Reps have the moxie to go state wide. And the Mayor of Boston, he seems to be content.
It should turn into an interesting summer and fall
This is devasting news. Prayers to him and his family.
Jeez people...I had a similar brain tumor in the same spot 5 years ago and I'm just fine and dandy. Stop acting like he's a goner!! This is nothing! Arlen Spector had one years ago too and he's cruising along like nothing ever happened.
Pray, yes...Despair, no
I am filled with such sadness. There are far too few like the Senator- He truly "uses his power for good" and has done more for the average working person than anyone else in public life. He "gets it" on every level, and is secure enough to work for real change.
Lori R.
Jana is right on.
I agree with you Jana. This is not the time to be thinking about that. My prayers go to his family and may he get well soon.
I think this is a time to think of Mr. Kennedy, his family and what they are going through......regardless of whether or not you like his politics----this is not an easy thing for any family to go through. I am not a fan, but I can only think of how I would feel if it were my father...and how I felt when certain family members have received news of this sort.
My thoughts are with them at this trying time.
I am very sad. He has always been an advocate for those less fortunate and for the rights of others. As a mental health clinician I appreciate all of his substantial efforts on the behalf of the chronically mentally ill. I wish him well and hope that his recovery is speedy.
He will no doubt Fight the Tumor 'til the End!
He is a Man of Strength & Courage!
I am So Proud that he has Represented Massachusetts in the Senate.
As an Intensive Care Nurse, I am, and will Always Be Grateful for all his Work on Health Care.
Warm Regards to Him & His family...my Prayers Are With You ALL.
Sen. Kennedy has my thanks and my prayers for his decades of service to Massachusetts and the nation.
To see a nice video of Ted from a month ago, calling voters on behalf of Sen. Obama in Pennsylvania, google the following search string:
ted phonebanks BHO PA
(sorry, these comments do not allow links)
-- stan
My thoughts and prayers are with the Senator and his family. He has done so much for our state and country.
My thoughts and prayers are with Senator Kennedy and his family!
Ted has and will continue to be a prime example of what public service is. Whether or not you agree with his politics, you can not aruge the impact he has had on all of our lives.
I am so sad. I have watched the Kennedy family serve their Country since I was a little girl. My prayers and well wishes are being sent for the entire family. Ted could have "retired" years ago, but he continues to work for us...the American people. No one will ever take his place, and I hope God agrees that we need Ted here in the U.S. now more than ever. Miracles do happen.
A transplanted Bostonian, living in Texas for now.
Senator kennedy has done much for massachuetts and the nation.It's our turn now to join with his family to pray for his return to good health.May god bless him.
Senator Ted Kennedy has done more for undeserving jerks like Don and LWhitt58 than they will ever be smart enough to understand.
Senator Kennedy has taken a life filled with tragedy and turned it into a positive opportunity to help the people of our country. I am heartbroken about his illness and feel like Massachusetts and the country is loosing our guardian angel. It makes me sick to my stomach to think of Washington without him.
May G-d bless you Senator Kennedy – we love you. Thank you for everything you do for all of us.
My wife died of a "Malignant Glioma" - specifically, an anaplastic astrocytoma. It was 42 months from diagnosis to death.
If TK's is a glioblastoma multiforme - the worst type - it'll be fatal in less than 3 years - probably much less.
I pray that Senator Kennedy will be healed of his sickness and be able to resume his duties as our Senior Senator. I remember that his family was instrumental in the development of special education for children like myself. If it weren't for his advocacy on our behalf, many of us wouldn't be a part of the public scene today.
My mom had glioblastoma multiforma, also in the parietal area of the brain, and we received some great support from the Brain Tumor Society in Boston, as well as her terrific treatment team. It's a difficult illness - our warm thoughts are with the Senator and his family.
As my Irish father used to say to my Irish mother, who was always imagining the worst, "Let's not back up the hearse yet." Senator Kennedy is a fighter, and with the support for medical research and health care that he has always championed in the Senate, I am certain that there is some kind of treatment that will keep him going. Last night, on PBS, the "American Experience" profiled the life of FDR - i can see so many parallels between FDR and Senator Kennedy. And I am certain that God will keep him alive so that he can serve in Barack Obama's adminstration. God bless you, Senator Kennedy - be strong.
Thanks Joe In Cleveland for your words of encouragement.
Right on- Joe from Cleveland! I agree -- Pray, yes --- Despair, no
ecb, I'm fully aware of what Kennedy has done (or not) for me. I'm not a jerk; I'm an informed citizen. If you wish to blindly follow a politician because he's a Kennedy; knock your socks off and go right ahead. Nothing less should be expected of so many in this Commonwealth.
I, however, choose a candidate for whom to vote based on whether their politics agree with mine. I don't believe that illegal aliens should be given a free ride within this country when their first thing they do is break the law. Just one example of where I don't agree with Senator Kennedy. It's my choice not to agree with him. Or you.
However, name calling just for the sake of name calling just shows what type of person you yourself are - childish and very blinded by the Kennedy mystique. I *said* I was sorry for his family and him. Let it go at that.
My hope is for Senator Kennedy to be strong enough to fight whatever lies ahead of him. This should not be political and only wishing a good man well wishes for the challenge he is facing. My boyfriend has a brain tumor very similar to Kennedy's diagnosis and fights this fight everyday and has done remarkable. I pray for the same for Senator Kennedy.
Prayers and thanks to Senator Kennedy and his family.
Don - you are a jerk!
My husband is currently dying from brain cancer and I really think you are cruel.
May God Bless the good senator. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Those who miss him so much can continue to vote for him as the same amount of work will get done. You wanted change, you got it!!!
All of the Kennedy family is in my thoughts and prayers.
What a shame - and how sad for his family. Massachusetts and the nation will suffer his loss and as he's set an example of how to be an effective Senator, he'll set an example of how to leave with dignity.
Oh yeah - I agree with Jana, too
I'm hopeful to read a couple of comments posted here that there could still be long term hope, and he could still have many years ahead since Sentaor Spector had a tumor years ago, and is still alive.
Let's all pray and hope so.
Christine
I am so sad. Senator Kennedy has helped this state and this country to be more compassionate, tolerant and generous. Without his leadership, I don't know what will happen to Massachusetts.
And Don, you are an insensitive jerk! I feel very sorry for you and those who have to be associated with you.
He's not done yet, thank God, since there is still much work to be done by the Senate for the average American, be it for health care, for a decent standard of living for all workers, for the mentally disadvantaged. Let's pray for him and his family, but not the last rites.
If you think your life is better in any measure because of the work Ted Kennedy has done over the years, you can hardly call it being blinded by the Kennedy mystique. If you don't think your life is better, you need to become better informed.
Ted has been an extremely effective senator. History will treat him very kindly. Along with lacking the most rudimentary social graces, small-minded idiots like Don don't have a sense of history.
I would think at a time like this that political interests would take a back seat. Rather then being so concerend with who may replace a legend why dont you better your time & yourself by offering your support to another human being.
It's really sad that some people have the gut reaction to say: "well, now that Ted is on his way out, we can get a change." If your mother or father got sick with cancer would you be saying: "great, now i can get a new parent."?
This is about an individual who has cancer. Whether you're a Democrat or Republican or something else, Kennedy and his family have been part of the fabric of this state for a very long time. You gotta think what his family is going through to see their patriarch fall ill.
So yeah..."Don't back up the hearse yet!" (love that saying).
I commented to my 87 year old mother that I felt as though some one in the family had been diagnosed with cancer. She agreed. Teddy has been so much a part of Massachusetts' life that it is hard to imagine his not being always at his peak. Fighting the good fight.
Thanks for all you have done for us over the years. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Senator Kennedy and his staff have helped countless numbers of people not just with the "big" legislative acts but also with individual requests for help when no one else could help. Here's hoping and praying that his work will continue for many years. [I wonder if those critical have ever had occasion to ask the Senator's office for help and not received prompt and caring assistance?]
I am incredibly sad for Senator Kennedy. What a terrible diagnosis. While we hope and pray for a speedy recovery, the reality is that he must discontinue working in the Senate. As a champion of liberal politics, he has served Massachusetts and the nation well. But his primary concern now should be for his life. I think he should retire and divert his full energies to fighting this terrible disease.
It is so nice to see all of the support out there for Senator Kennedy. It is very heartening. Ted Kennedy is a tireless fighter and he will certainly take this challenge on and I believe he will prevail. As for Don and LWhitt58, I am sure they're still sore about Nixon losing to JFK.
I am heartbroken to hear of this news and hope for the best for Senator Kennedy. He spoke at my High School Graduation and while that itself was impressive , the reason why we were able to have him as a speaker says a great deal about the man.
During the plane crash in 1964 where he injured his back, an aide to him was killed in that accident. He took very good care of that man's family for years afterwards and promised to speak at the graduations of that man's daughters, one of whom was a classmate of mine. This is just one minor example of the types of "good deeds" he has done for families in this state.
He is one of the few politicians left who gets up in the morning and tries to really make a difference in people's lives. In my mind, he is the best example of what being a liberal is all about. I truly believe he will go down in history as one of the greatest and most effective leaders in this country's history.
I wish him and his family sincere best wishes during this difficult time.
This is terrible news and undoubtedly a tragedy of epic proportions, however, it's no where near the magnitude of when Jackie-O died.
Senator Kennedy:
I wish you a speedy recovery. There is always hope, I was given a 5 year prognosis on an unrelated illness. That was a year ago, today that diagnosis has changed to I'm expected to live a happy and long life. Please stay positive as I know you will. Your past history is foretelling of the fight you will wage against this tumor. It will be the biggest fight of your life, but I'm certain you will come out the winner!
We hope to hear the Liberal Lion roar again soon in the Senate. We wish you a speedy recovery, your work is not done.
There is a time and a place for everything. Now is simply not the time for political commentary. My heart goes out to Senator Kennedy and his family.
My thoughts and prayers for Senator Kennedy and his family. Stay strong during this difficult time for all of you and thank you Senator Kennedy for all you do and have done for Massachusetts. May God Bless you and help you to heal.
There's some irony in learning that one of the great leaders of our country for the last half century is stricken with cancer just hours after Jon Lester placed an exclamation point on his own victory over this dreadful disease. It is time to reflect on Senator Kennedy's brilliant career and express our gratitude to him, but not to give up hope.
While I do have considerable empathy for Ted Kennedy and his family having struggled through a cancer scare of a loved one ... I am looking at his illness as the opportunity to move him and his obstructionist yachting crowd friends aside so that Massachusetts can build wind-turbines and move into a new era of energy self-reliance.
Being a Kennedy means protect your rich friends and give away the working stiffs tax dollars.
I am so very sad to hear this news about Senator Kennedy. He is our voice and our Savior for Massachusetts. No one does more for us in Public Service than our beloved Senator. I love the Kennedy 's-
I pray for him and his children, his wife and all of the Kennedys that are no longer here.
Who will fight for us? Not like Ted Kennedy! No one!
God bless you Senator. I hope you can recover from this, if anyone can, it wil be you!
Virginia
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Senator.
My brother developed a glioma when he was 24. The doctors at Mass General said that the younger you were, the more aggressive the cancer was, because of the faster metabolism of younger people. He died 10 months later. Senator Kennedy won't survive this, but he may live for a few years. I think his family is strong enough to help him through what is coming. I wish all of them the best.
Surely, the Kennedy has the support of all us who rode and attended the Brain Tumor Society's Ride for Research this past Sunday. My thoughts and prayers are with the Kennedy family today.
I for one am glad that this man will be out of politics. I do feel compassion for him and his family. However, I will not for one millisecond be upset when he is out of the Senate for good.
The damage he has inflicted onto this country is unprecedented in the history of the United States. Every issue that is confronting this nation today can be laid squarely as a result of one or more of his actions.
The immigration disaster we are forced to confront today is a direct result of his dismantling of the processes that had been in place since the country's founding. Instead of forcing immigrants to prove that would contribute to the country by assimilating and learning the language as every other immigrant group had done for the 225 years before he came on scene. Instead he thought it was a great idea to cap the number of immigrants allowed from the European countries that had been the reason for our success and instead open the floodgates to all of the dregs and scum from every third world crap hole on the planet . And has been true with every other liberal/socialist policy that has ever been tried it's been a complete and utter failure.
Fact is this. This guy has never implemented or passed a bill that hasn't either 1) Taken away your money or 2) Taken away your freedom or both.
And to top it all off, with the exception of John Kerry he may be the most anti-military politician in the history of the country.
Good riddance and get out of the Senate now.
What does Jackie O have to do with Senator Kennedy illness????Have you no compassion, you are sick..Senator Kennedy is a great man and like they say "don't back up the hearse yet"
Although I am a Republican, I have great, great respect for this man. He has transcended politics and is simply a glorious human being. I pray that God helps him beat the odds, awful as they are. According to what I found, the median survival duration after diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme, the most common And aggressive subtype of malignant glioma, is less than 1 year, with a 2-year survival rate approaching zero.
May God bless you, Ted Kennedy.
Good thoughts and good karma to Ted and his family.
All the best
slan na abhaile
It is obvious Don and LWhitt58 know very little about what Kennedy has done in the Senate. Nobody has fought longer and harder for decent health care in this country. Perhaps you would like him replaced with someone like Arlen Spector who spend their time on trivial items while wasting tax payers money. Senator Kennedy is what is right with this country while people like Don, LWhitt58, Spector and Bush is what is wrong with this country.
Ted has been a voice for the downtrodden for 40+ years in the Senate. One may not agree with his Liberal views, but he has been a most effective, responsive Senator. Like was said a few years ago, "If you need help, you call Kennedy's office, not Kerry's office". I just hope that his illness affords him the opportunity to go out in style, and with dignity that he justly deserves.
If we lose Ted, who will speak in government for the poor, the working poor, the children, the underprivileged? He is not just " a liberal". He has been the only real champion in congress of the above for over 40 years.
I hope that Dr. Roberto Heros can help Ted Kennedy, he is one of the most fabulous surgeons; one who used to be part of the MGH staff and hopefully will help Ted Kennedy. He was my neurosurgeon almost 20 years ago and he and his wife are on-the-cutting edge with his skills with brain tumors.
In the meantime, I am praying for you Ted, it seems like a slow and hard time now....but you will shine.
May the world be "healed" from the other "Dons" in the world. Insensitivity such as his breeds contempt and that is what we, in this world, are trying to heal. Don....may you never know the heartbreak that many of us have felt upon hearing about the possibly fatal diagnosis of a loved one. And may you find love and peace in your heart somewhere, somehow and sometime! Otherwise, we will continue to be a broken world. I pray that you heal. Ted Kennedy already has.....from more than you can ever imagine, I'm sure!
I rarely agreed with Senator Kennedy's politics, but I am certainly rooting for him to get through this health issue.
I disagree with just about all of Ted Kennedy's political views. I am disgusted by his personal behavior (and that of his family). He should have served jail time after the crash on Chappy.
Nevertheless, I wish him and his family well in this difficult time. Cancer is a terrible disease and each of our families will be touched by it. While I do not care for Ted K., he is still a person and I have compassion for him and his family.
::::Applause::::: to BF and Otis.
As for Wayne and talk of "wasting taxpayers' money" - look to the liberals to do that. "Less government" is NOT the byline of the liberal Democrats. They want their hands in your pockets taking MORE of what hard-earned money you do make, and when it's not enough, they want to take more. And then they give it to the people who entered this country illegally, among others.
Sorry folks - while on a personal level in this situation only, I feel for the Senator and his family, I do not and will not agree that he's done "so much" for this country. His elitist politics, as Otis said, protect him and his cronies. Wind turbines would be a great boon to the rising electric costs - yet it becomes a NIMBY situation when they want to put them in the waters off Cape Cod. Can't block that view from the compound, now can we?
No, not yet Teddy. Too soon, and we need you here.
The majority of compassionate American send our heart felt wishes, that Senator Ted Kennedy gets well very soon. However, my hope he stays out of the immigration tempest, as he was the benefactor of the 1986 Simpson/Mazzoli Control Act, when he promised that their would never be another AMNESTY. It seems almost a definite realization that Mr. Kennedy, along with Madam Feinstein, Speaker Pelosi, Larry Craig connived to add an AMNESTY amendment. Today! NOW! The danger is SEVERE! Let me remind you of the stakes in this fight against illegal immigration.
If it passes, this bill will GIVE AN AMNESTY to about 3 MILLION (MORE) Illegal Aliens agricultural workers and their families for five years (at least!). You the taxpayer will be paying for their medical care, schooling and much more; compliments of parasite employers and farmers. We already have 12 to 30 million in America already, that our humble pockets are paying for? Already hundreds of thousands of people have faxed messages of anger and frustration.
TOGETHER Citizens and Permanent residence can defeat this repugnant bill. Call toll-free (202-224-3121) Most newspapers are saying nothing. Read and Fax for free NUMBERSUSA Jam politicians switch boards! Demand the Federal SAVE ACT (H.R.4088) from your timid Democratic politicians, who are being intimidated by Pelosi and thrall.
Copy And paste and distribute freely
I think all good Republicans are hoping Senator Kennedy successfully gets through this health crises.
God bless Ted Kennedy, a selfless and tireless worker for all of us. History will reflect his true worth, the same as it will all politicians. It has nothing to do with the "mystique" of being a Kennedy and everything to do with his integrity and courage.
It's an unfortunate diagnosis for Senator Kennedy and his family. I agree with many of the other comments - don't place him in the grave yet. Compassion for another human going through a tough time is appropriate. But, please don't make this a media event 24x7. There are more important news events and why not give the family some space. Good grief the media circus at Mass General is out of control!
Once the diagnosis and illness runs its term, then it would be appropriate to discuss a replacement and the legacy of Ted Kennedy.
My prayers are with Senator Kennedy and his family
If we lose Ted, who will speak in government for the poor, the working poor, the children, the underprivileged? He is not just " a liberal". He has been the only real champion in congress of the above for over 40 years.
"While I do not care for Ted K., he is still a person and I have compassion for him and his family."
~~~~~~~
Jared - you said much more succinctly what I think most of us who disagree with TK's politics feels, despite the bashing we're getting from everyone else on this blog. We *can* disagree with his politics, and yet still feel compassion for him and his family as he goes through this ordeal.
Maybe it is the media outlets who are jerks for letting the populace comment on line at each and every opportunity. My husband died of cancer...he was not a public figure granted, but some of the statements above would have been incredibly hurtful.
To Senator Kennedy & His Family: My heartfelt thoughts are with you as you bear this devastating news. I am the daughter of a man who suffered the same demise as you. My advise: Live out your days in Hyannis surrounded by your friends and family. Don't go for the chemo and radiation. Once you start that your life will be nothing but doctors appointments and schedules for pill-taking and MRIs and PET scans and blood tests... You can spend your time better than that... God Speed to you all...
Whether you agree with his politics or not, Sen. Kennedy is a powerful voice for Massachusetts. Losing him would be a great loss for us.
My thoughts and prayers go to the Senator and his family. Regardless of politics, I have compassion for the battle he is about to begin.
I'm from Louisiana and I've never been anywhere near Massachusetts in my life, but as an Irish Catholic and a proud Democrat, I can honestly say that Sen. Kennedy has been a great leader for this country and I hope he continues to be such for a long time to come. I haven't always liked everything he has said and done (e.g. challenging President Carter for the nomination in 1980 and doing considerable damage to the party in the process), but I still feel like we would all be a lot better off if there were more men like Sen. Kennedy in positions of influence in this country. My thoughts are with him and his great family.
Dear Senator Kennedy,
Thank you for your years of service to the people Mass and the country as a whole. I admire your work to bring health care to all. May God bless you during this difficult time and you will be in my prayers.
Kathleen
Many years ago, Ted Kennedy talked about the extensive medical care he needed after his plane crash. He said: Thank God my family could afford it. And he took that experience forward and fought for the little guy who couldn't afford to get hurt or sick. No matter what the outcome (and I do wish him well), this may just be the inspiration for the next chapter
And as for the future of America's political landscape...please remember, any great work needs both point and counterpoint. Over the years, Senator Kennedy has provided both well
Senator Kennedy had a forturnate birth and he used it to help others. We need him now in the Senate. We need to keep Bush and his minions at bay.
Obviously Don does not work for a living. Every working American in this country owes a debt of gratitude to Senator Kennedy for the tireless work that he has done to improve their lives and their lives of their families. On behalf of every American who has been able to stay at home with a sick child or an elderly parent because they have Family and Medical Leave, of every child who now has health insurance because of SCHIP, of every worker who receives overtime pay, I want to thank Senator Kennedy.
My prayers are with you for a speedy and full recovery.
I'm very sad to learn of Senator Kennedy's illness. Ted Kennedy has been a fine Senator for Mass and for the rest of the country. He has been a champion of those less fortunate than myself and with limited resources. I hope he can continue to spend his remaining time continuing to work for those causes dear to him.
My prayers go out to Senator Kennedy and all of his family. My uncle was diagnosed in December 2006 with a gliobastoma multiforme tumor at the age of 85 and he was dead in 6 weeks. I pray that Senator Kennedy's tumor is not this type and that with treatment, he has many years ahead. God be with you.
Best wishes to the Kennedy family. It is a very hard thing to deal with . My sister passed away in Feb. from a brain tumor and I have surgery #3 for my brain tumor coming up next week. It is very trying time and i wish him the best.
This is truly a sad day. Whether one agrees with Senator Kennedy's politics has nothing to do with this situation. We should all pray for him at this time. Personally, I will also pray for Don, LWhitt58, Otis, Jared, and especially BF. You all appear to be really horrible, pernicious people. It's amazing that you choose this forum, where you can hide behide an anonymous screen name, to flaunt your political diatribe. I truly feel very sorry for you.
Ted Kennedy is a Champion of Labor, Long Live Ted Kennedy !!!!
A regular guy despite his stature. I met him alone at Logan airport 5 years ago this month. We were planning a 60th birthday for my father in law and I thought it would be neat to get my father in laws friends and family on video to say funny things, a few skits, etc. Well quite coincidentally I flew into Logan and had my video camera in my carrying case and thought how cool it would be to get Senator Kennedy on tape saying "Happy Birthday". Somewhat reluctantly I walked over to him explained the scenario and he agreed to do it. Without any rehearsal (or pretense) in front of a US Airways boarding gate and with just the key elements about the birthday, he went into a very cool happy birthday greeting like he was talking to an old friend. I walked away amazed at his humanity and sense of humor and months later at the birthday party when Ted came on the screen people were blown away. Thanks Senator Kennedy for that and all you do. Here is a link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neLlgqdiH88
People: He's not dead!!!
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Kennedy family. However, this is not a time to canonize the man. He is a man and this is very sad, but normal people, regular people fight cancer every single day. So yes, this is sad, and yes, I feel sorry for him and his family, but it is far more tragic for a child to be diagnosed with a terminal cancer - and I honestly think Senator Kennedy would agree on that front.
So while we can feel sorry for the man, remember, he isn't God, nor is or was any member of his family. We also need to beware of the political machine and how this could be used - which is disgusting.
Thoughts and prayers to Senator Kennedy for a speedy and successful recovery. Thoughts and prayers also go out to those contributors to this board who are faced with a similar illness. Senator Kennedy will undoubtedly increase much needed awareness regarding this terrible disease.
When I first read the news, I had all I could to hold back the tears. What an incredible man, who so selflessly has given of himself to this state and country.
My mom died of a malignant brain tumor. She was given 3 months to live and God willingly lived for 3 years. Miracles do happen - and no one should count out this fighter any time soon. God Bless you Teddy and your family and THANK YOU for all you have done and will continue to do.
Don - you're so quick to criticize. If you think you're so great, how come you're not a Senator. What have you done so selflessly for this country.
Go Teddy - we're all routing and praying for you.
I wish him the best. Even though I detest him on so many, levels. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Health and long life.
You come from a family of fighters, continue to fight and beat this awful disease. Just as you have stood by the people of this country, we will stand by you during this most challenging time. Always in our thoughts and prayers.
Hang in there, Ted !! I was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago with inoperable metastatic breast cancer, with a 13% chance of survival and expected prognosis of 3 to 6 months. But I told my doctor not to pick my number in the betting pool until January 20, 2009 because I WILL be there at the inauguration, no matter what!! Pay no attention to the depressing medical stats - the human body can work wonders with the right attitude (and stay away from those cell phones and diet soda, both of which cause brain cancer!). You can do it - Yes, We CAN!!
Having recently watched a loved one to succumb to the nastiness of cancer, I applaud all the above offerings of love and prayer. Premature death is always a tragedy. I only wish Senator Kennedy reciprocated those feelings to the 50+ million unborn children who were destroyed on his watch, in part due to his unyielding support for Roe vs. Wade. Senator Kennedy was a tireless defender of all forms of life which didn't meet some subjective standard of humanity, be they too black, too female, too gay, or too mentally-challenged. Bravo. But how he can be complicit in the destruction of the most vlunerable of all, those that are 'too immature', I suspect he will take to his own grave. All forms of human life deserve a champion.
I am not a fan of you or your past - the things you have gotten away with because you are a Kennedy are unspeakable, but you know what - you are human, and nobody deserves this. I wish you luck in what the next phase of your life brings and I hope you continue to fight the good fight
Joe in Cleveland. I am glad you put in your thoughts. Medical science is amazing today and is always finding new things to help and cure. The Cleveland Clinic saved my brother.
Keep fighting Senator Kennedy. This Country owes your Family a great deal. We will all be praying for you and for your family.
If Massachusetss wants a new Senator, tell them John Kerry, although he will fight, is for the taking, but not Edward Kennedy, he'll be around for awhile.
Ted Kennedy is the patriarch of the family as well as the surviving member of a family that lost two of the greatest men in the history of this country. God bless Senator Kennedy and his family and let them know they are in our prayers. Ted can beat this cancer like a bad senate bill. Take care, Mr. Senator.
For almost fifty years, Ted Kennedy has held a place in a lot of Massachusetts families.
Love him or hate him - his name is mentioned when families come together to discuss politics around many a dinner table in the Bay State. So I've always considered Senator Kennedy like a member of my family - he's mentioned in the family lore: so&so's cousin is on his staff, we saw him at a political rally etc., or a school event, or he helped someone get a kidney or was present at a wake or he thanked us for a vote at the Park Street T Stop...
He's like a long lost uncle... you haven't met him but your aunts/uncles/mother/father/cousins have and you always knew that he had your interests at heart. College loans, prescription drugs, health care...
He's the voice for the disenfranchised.
My prayers are with him, his wife Vicki and his family.
"May the road rise up to meet him and the wind be at his back..."
I feel bad for the Senator and for his family. His illness is not something that anyone should have to endure. I am sure that he has helped many Massachusetts citizens with problems during his tenure. While I have great respect for himas a political warrior,I do not agree with any of his politics. The first thing and only thing that he did right in my mind was to tell Arlen Spector of PA to take a hike with investigating the Patriots about Spygate. But all that can be left for another time.
My sympathies for the Senator and his family.
Ted Kennedy never had to work a day in his life. However, he was born to a family that believed in the importance of public service. Whether or not you agree with his politics, you must admire and love this man who has given so selflessly for so long for the betterment of the common man. We should all pray that G-d grants him more time and then a peaceful and painless end. He deserves this by virtue of a lifetime in public service.
My mother died of a glioblastoma. My deepest sympathy for Ted and his family.
The senator has done a huge amount for this country and for Massachusetts and although it will be a loss, I hope he'd choose to step aside and devote all his time to his family and all his strength to his treatment.
This is very sad news, and no doubt will draw needed attention to this difficult form of cancer. All my best thoughts go out to the Kennedy family and all the people posting here who have fought this disease in themselves or their family.
Ted Kennedy is one of the last of the old school liberals. He believes that government should help people. It's not compassionate conservatism, it's just plain old compassion.
We pray for you with all our hearts to get well.
We are so very grateful to your unstinting service and patriotism at its best: Liberal is not an epithet. Liberal means affordable health care and education; plentiful jobs; foreign policies that don't bankrupt us.
Thank you, beloved Senator.
One of Ted Kennedy's greatest joys (aside from his family and public service, of course) is sailing his classic Concordia yawl Mya. This weekend is the annual Figawi race, benefitting various Cape Cod charities. Mya is registered, as she has been for many years, but now it seems sadly unlikely that she'll compete.
As we gather outside the jetty at Hyannis on Saturday morning, we'll all spare a thought for our missing fellow competitor. I hope he'll be able to watch the start from the family compound, and relive the happy memories.
On Saturday night, we'll all raise a cup to his return in good health next year.
I had something similar over 40 years ago. I had the surgery and here I am. I sill have seizures but they are controlled with medication. Wish you well Ted.
ps welcome to the new family
I wish some posters would have the class to NOT use this board for political commentary. I know Senator Kennedy has many detractors but this is hardly the time or place to bring up past pecadilloes.
How tacky to bring up your political views as well as sounding the death knell. For God's sake, wish the man and his family well. He will be in my thoughts and prayers.
For the upside down presidential era of George Bush, Ted was a leader of the voices who spoke for the needs and interests of the common man faced by an onslaught of corporate hubris and power.
He and his family have nothing to apologize for.
He paid many times over for the Chappaquiddick incident. In spite of his human frailties and screw ups, his work far over shadowed them.
Fortunately for us, there are men of talent among our congressional reps.
Ted has my thanks for his unfailing support of liberal values his entire career.
I hope there are Kennedy Family in the pipeline who can fcontinue the good fight.
Senator Kennedy has been, is, and will be an inspiration to all those who care for the poor, the ill, and the vulnerable. His years have been a blessing for America and I pray that he will knows how important he has been to so many.
Senator Kennedy is a human being first and foremost. Whether you agree with his political views or not, he deserves compassion. Hateful messages do nothing but show the level of class of the author. Walk a mile in his shoes, he has a battle ahead of him no one would want to fight.
My prayers are with him and his family.
Like him in the Senate or not. This is not about that, it is about someones family going through something very difficult that I wish I on NO ONE. I wish him and his family well and hope for good outcome!
As an admirer from St. Louis, Missouri, I will just say that the great senator is in everyone's thoughts and prayers. Though he may have made some mistakes in the late 60's - think Chappaquidick- he has certainly embraced and fought for this country like no other statesman in our time. Each and every one of us in this country is better off because of this great man. For all of you in MA who think it is time for a change, I for one am quite happy he has been able to serve his country for so long. Teddy we love you and hope for a miracle!
God love you and may He hold you in the palm of His hand, Senator Ted. You can never know the degree of admiration, respect and love millions like myself have for you. You are the one who stands up for us when we can not stand up for ourselves. You are the voice of reason and the light of goodness and justice in the Capitol. I am so grateful for everything you have done for us all. I am especially grateful that I had the privilege of getting to know you when I was 16. You were recuperating on that balcony at New England Baptist Hospital after the terrible plane crash. Despite a broken back, your spirits were always positive. You were so kind and funny. Hurry up and get well cause we need you now more than ever. Cancer, Smancer! With us all rooting for ya - ya can't lose!
My prayers and good wishes go out to Senator Kennedy and the Kennedy family. I am an avid fan of Senator Kennedy's sister-in-law Jackie Kennedy. In my livingroom sits a tabletop book of her wardrobe worn during her White House years. And for all these reasons I send an urgent recommendation to the Kennedy family and supporters to contact nutritionist and herbalist Dr. Sebi (310) 838-2490. I edited his recently released book Seven Days in Usha Village: A Conversation with Dr. Sebi. In that book and in all of his lectures, Dr. Sebi discusses his cures for cancer, AIDS, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, lupus and other illnesses. The New York Supreme Court approved his claims and products in a 1988 decision. Dr. Sebi has discussed his treatments at the Rayburn Building in Washington, DC. He has advised and treated many celebrities and noted individuals for the past 25 years. Diagnostic sheets of cured AIDS patients are included in his book. Please give Dr. Sebi's Office, LLC a call (310) 838-2490 (Los Angeles). If Dr. Sebi can cure lockjaw, he can shrink the tumor in Senator Kennedy's brain. Let's not allow another icon to pass away before exploring all options. Thank you, and here's to a speedy recovery Senator. Beverly Oliver
as a gay man and massachusetts' native who has lived around the country, ted kennedy has been like a shining light in the fight for gay, poor and other minority peoples. when locales where i have lived have demonstrated bigotry, hatred and exclusionary laws towards gay people, it has been a great comfort to see his unhesitant and unshakeable support for equality rights. god bless him for his obviously sincere and ongoing moral behavior towards so many people who are less fortunate than him. he is in my prayers.
My prayers and thoughts are with you and your family. Thank you for all your service. This country and our home state are a better place because of you and your tireless fight for the average American.