The Tragic Story Of Rosemary Kennedy, John F. Kennedy’s Older Sister Who Was Deemed Different And Subjected To A Lobotomy That Left Her A Ghost Of The Woman She Once Was
John F. Kennedy was one of America’s most iconic presidents. He made tremendous history, and his family has been in the public eye for decades.
As more years have passed since his tragic assassination and the deaths of his brothers and other relatives, events that have led people to believe in the “Kennedy Curse,” more attention is being paid to the story of Rosemary, John’s eldest sister, who had a horrific downfall and unjust destiny.
For years, people knew very little about her story, but it’s finally coming to light as younger generations learn about what happened to her.
Rosemary was the first daughter born to Joseph Patrick Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald in 1918 in their Massachusetts home.
She was born a healthy baby but took a bit longer to develop than her siblings, taking a little longer to crawl and walk.
Then, Rosemary’s younger sisters began passing her up developmentally, and the Kennedys grew concerned. This was the start of Rosemary being deemed different from her brothers and sisters.
Since there wasn’t nearly as much research and knowledge on disabilities back then as there is today, there was a lot of stigma surrounding the kind of issues that Rosemary had.
However, she was still known as a sweet, fun, and loving girl. Still, her family didn’t know how to approach her education or how to give her proper treatment.
Rosemary briefly attended public school as a child but struggled to keep her grades up and often had to repeat certain classes. So, her parents decided to keep her at home, especially since they worried her disabilities and struggles would tarnish their reputation as a high-class, affluent, political family.
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As Rosemary grew older, her family continued to struggle to find her proper care and education while keeping their issues with her hushed. They sent her to several schools, but none were a great fit, and the lack of consistency proved difficult for her.
Despite schooling being a challenge, Rosemary was still a vibrant young woman who loved activities with her family, sports, attending special events, shopping, and dancing. Still, she struggled to achieve as much as her competitive siblings, which was very hard for her.
When the Kennedys moved to London before World War II, while Joseph served as Ambassador to Great Britain, Rosemary attended a convent school with a Montessori program and thrived. She was very social and was known for being beautiful and fun. However, due to World War II forcing them to move back to America, that didn’t last long.
Back in America, Rosemary continued to flip-flop between boarding schools and grew rebellious. She began sneaking out at night, and her life became filled with more instability. Her parents began to panic, especially since she continued to fall behind her other children.
While looking into methods of treatment for Rosemary, her father learned about lobotomies, which were still fairly new, and some medical professionals genuinely believed the dangerous procedure could cure people of certain mental illnesses and disabilities. However, the procedure hadn’t been accepted by the American Medical Association.
Despite that, Rosemary’s family was desperate to get her “fixed,” so in 1941, when she was 23, her father arranged a lobotomy procedure for her. Right away, they discovered the procedure had failed, and Rosemary was left in horrible shape.
Due to the lobotomy, Rosemary lost her ability to walk and talk. Her mental abilities had dwindled, and she was left with the mind of a toddler.
Immediately, her father sent her to a psychiatric institution in upstate New York, and he discouraged any of their family members from visiting her, often telling them she needed time to adjust.
The Kennedys would often tell friends and others in the public that Rosemary was off studying to be a teacher or was doing social work. Meanwhile, she was stuck in an institution, a ghost of the woman she once was, with no visits from her relatives.
After being moved to a different facility in Wisconsin, the Kennedys didn’t begin to visit Rosemary and do anything about her situation until the 1950s.
As John moved closer to his presidential election, the family began advocating for disabled people. Some say Rosemary’s story taught the Kennedys how to have more compassion and inspired years of charitable work; others believe that compassion came too late.
Rosemary’s mother didn’t visit her until over 20 years after they last saw each other. In the 70s, the Kennedy family began taking her on family vacations, and a special home was built for her on the grounds of the Wisconsin institution. Her caretakers and family tried to fill her final years with fun and games.
Rosemary passed away of natural causes in 2005 at 86. While tragic, her story reminds us how far our country has come in terms of healthcare and how much further it needs to go.
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