"Uncle Teddy" now the one in need

Associated Press

May 21, 2008 01:32 am

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BOSTON — For much of his life, Sen. Edward Kennedy has taken on the role of "Uncle Teddy" watching over his extended family.

Now he is the one in need after being diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor.

The diagnosis came as a shock to a family all too accustomed to sudden, calamitous news.

In an e-mail sent to friends, Kennedy's wife, Vicki, acknowledged the family had been "pitched a real curveball," but said "this is only the first inning." She said the family was consulting with experts and seeking multiple opinions.

"Teddy is leading us all, as usual, with his calm approach to getting the best information possible. He's also making me crazy (and making me laugh) by pushing to race in the Figawi this weekend," she said, referring to the annual sailing race from Cape Cod to Nantucket.

Vicki, Kennedy's wife since 1992, and his five children and stepchildren have been at his hospital bedside.

Last week, he and his niece Caroline Kennedy awarded the annual "Profiles in Courage" award commemorating President Kennedy. And Friday, the night before he had a seizure, he attended a ribbon cutting at the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

He was preparing to host the annual Best Buddies Challenge event on Saturday afternoon, a fundraiser for the Best Buddies organization founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver that helps people with intellectual disabilities.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, another Kennedy, niece, said they appreciated all the messages of care they had received.

"It's always a comfort to the family to know that Sen. Kennedy is in the prayers of millions," their statement said.

Kennedy's eldest brother, Joseph, died in a World War II plane crash; President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963; and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.

The tragedies thrust "Uncle Teddy" into the role of surrogate parent to his brothers' children. He walked Caroline Kennedy down the aisle.

A high point in his life came in 1980, when Kennedy challenged Jimmy Carter for the Democratic presidential nomination. He eventually bowed out with a stirring speech in which he declared, "The cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die." His eulogy for his brother Robert was equally stirring.

The low point was 1969, when Kennedy drove a car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island on Martha's Vineyard. The accident killed aide Mary Jo Kopechne.