US President Had a Sister Hidden for 20 Years Due to Disability

John F. Kennedy once served as the number one person in the United States. However, while her elder brother sat in the White House, his younger sister lived far from the public eye. Rosemary Kennedy, JFK’s younger sister, was hidden from public and family life for around 20 years. This situation occurred after a brain operation performed when Rosemary was still young made her condition far worse.

Rosemary was the third child of Joseph Kennedy and Rose Elizabeth. She was born on 13 September 1918 and became one of the Kennedy family members with a condition different from her siblings. According to the JFK Library, when Rosemary was born in hospital, the delivery was not handled directly by a doctor but by a nurse. However, the nurse reportedly did not dare assist with the birth process. As a result, Rosemary was left in the birth canal for around two hours. This condition reduced oxygen supply and led to brain damage.

After the doctor arrived, Rosemary was finally delivered. However, the impact became visible during her growth. Rosemary experienced learning difficulties. Her emotional development was also unstable. Her condition differed greatly from her siblings, who were known for their high abilities in their respective fields.

This situation then led her father, Joseph Kennedy, to make a major decision. He allowed doctors to perform a lobotomy on Rosemary. In the 1940s, lobotomy was indeed one of the methods used to address behavioural and emotional problems. However, the operation also carried significant risks. Instead of improving Rosemary’s condition, the operation made her damage more severe. Rosemary became paralysed and her motor skills were also affected.

After that, Rosemary no longer lived her life as before. She was exiled to a place and lived with a nurse. According to the New York Times, Rosemary was then kept away from the hustle and bustle of the world. The location of her residence was unknown to the American public. She also did not know much about what was happening outside her residence. Even when John F. Kennedy became US President in 1961, Rosemary was far from public life. She also did not know about various developments occurring outside.

The exile lasted for about 20 years. Rosemary only met her mother in 1969. However, the mother-daughter meeting was dramatic because Rosemary refused to see her mother. After that, Rosemary chose to close herself off from the Kennedy family. She then lived in a nursing home until the end of her life. Rosemary Kennedy died on 7 January 2005.