Ethel Kennedy faced unimaginable heartbreak throughout her life. Among the many tragedies she endured was the sudden loss of two of her sons. Take a closer look at the heartbreaking deaths of David and Michael Kennedy.

Ethel Kennedy, the wife of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was a prominent figure in American history, known for her unwavering commitment to social justice and her strength in the face of family tragedies.

Ethel and Robert F. Kennedy boarding a plane for San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March 1966. | Source: Getty Images

Born into a political dynasty, she married into one of the most iconic American families. She and Robert raised 11 children, navigating both the highs of public service and the lows of personal loss.

Despite her remarkable resilience, Ethel was no stranger to heartache, having tragically lost two of her sons — David and Michael Kennedy — in sudden and devastating circumstances.

Ethel Kennedy at the Restore Ball in New York City on September 28, 1970. | Source: Getty Images

David, the fourth of Ethel’s children, led a life deeply affected by trauma. At just 13 years old, he witnessed the assassination of his father on live television, an event that haunted him for the rest of his life.

Despite his promising beginnings, the emotional toll of his father’s death led David down a path of addiction. On April 25, 1984, he was found dead in his hotel room in Palm Beach, Florida, at 28.

David and Chris Kennedy watching a tennis match with their cousin, Ted Kennedy Jr., on August 25, 1974. | Source: Getty Images

He had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for many years, and while his cause of death wasn’t immediately clear, investigators eventually ruled out suicide.

There were ”no signs of foul play,” said Sergeant Henry L. Marchman, spokesman for the Police Department of Palm Beach. The results of a preliminary autopsy tonight were being studied, as officials suspected it was an accidental overdose.

David Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention on July 15, 1976, in New York. | Source: Getty Images

David, who resided in Boston, traveled to Palm Beach to visit his grandmother, Rose Kennedy, who was in poor health. His body was discovered by a hotel secretary, Elizabeth Barnett, around 11:30 a.m. after a family member called to check if he had left for his flight.

When there was no response from his room phone, the hotel staff were instructed to investigate, according to hotel spokesman Gerald H. Beebe Jr.

David Kennedy in New York in 1984. | Source: Getty Images

The spokesman noted that hotel staff had seen David the previous Tuesday, describing him as being in good spirits. A desk clerk even recalled him waving as he passed the front desk.

David’s uncle, Senator Edward Kennedy, reflected on his nephew’s troubled life, stating, “We all pray that David has finally found the peace that he did not find in life.” The Kennedy family were no strangers to tragedy and mourned deeply, but the heartbreak did not end there.

Members of the Kennedy family escorted by Ethel Kennedy carrying the casket of David Kennedy from the hearse to the Kennedy House on May 4, 1984. | Source: Getty Images

Thirteen years later, in 1997, another devastating blow struck Ethel when her son Michael died in a skiing accident. Known for his adventurous spirit, Michael was skiing in Aspen, Colorado, when he collided with a tree, resulting in his immediate death at 39.

Michael Kennedy and Vicky Gifford at Attorney Roy Cohn’s birthday party in New York City on February 22, 1981. | Source: Getty Images

Michael had faced controversy in the years leading up to his death due to an alleged affair with the family’s babysitter. The scandal even affected his brother Joseph P. Kennedy II’s political aspirations.

Praying for Jimmy Carter as His Foundation Makes Dreadful News

According to new reports, former President Jimmy Carter has entered hospice care. According to a statement provided by The Carter Center, the 39th president’s choice to enter hospice comes after many hospital hospitalizations.

“Following a series of short hospital stints, former US President Jimmy Carter elected to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of extra medical intervention. His family and medical staff are completely behind him.”

At 98 years old, Carter is the oldest living president. He’s held that record since 2018, when George H.W. Bush died at the age of 94, according to CNN.

Carter has had several health problems in recent years. The former president defeated brain cancer in 2015, and in 2019, he underwent brain surgery to relieve the growing strain.

Jimmy is a retired peanut farmer, US Navy Lieutenant, Sunday School teacher, and former US president. He is also a Habitat for Humanity volunteer and a 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Carter and his wife, Rosalynn Carter, live in Plains, Georgia. Amy, Donnel, Jack, and James are their four children.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Jimmy and his family as they support him through this difficult time.

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Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter honored with first-ever CNN Heroes Legacy Award

CNN announced its “Heroes of the Year” awards on Sunday night and for the first time ever, CNN also awarded a “Heroes Legacy Award.”

The inaugural winner? It’s former President Jimmy Carter and his late wife first lady Rosalynn Carter. CNN recognized Georgia’s favorite couple for their lifetime commitment to community service.

Rosalynn Carter died in November at the age of 96. Jimmy Carter has been in hospice care since February. The Carters’ granddaughter Sarah Carter accepted the award on her grandparents’ behalf.

“My grandparents had the ability to envision the world as it should be with astonishing moral clarity and the audacity and determination to pursue that vision over decades. And they touched so many people’s lives along the way,” Sarah Carter said.

The Carter family has committed their lives to several notable causes.

Jimmy Carter has worked in partnership with Habitat for Humanity since the mid-1980s. He earlier volunteered with the organization in Americus, Georgia where it was founded.

Rosalynn Carter made it her life mission to advocate for mental health. She played a key role in the passage of a federal law requiring insurance to pay for mental health treatment on par with physical illnesses.

President and Mrs. Carter were the longest-ever married presidential couple, having wed in 1946.

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