✦Kara Anne Kennedy

Television Career and Cancer Survival

Kara Anne Kennedy was born on February 27, 1960, in Boston, Massachusetts, the eldest child of Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Joan Bennett Kennedy. She built a career as a television producer, working on documentary and news programming. In 2002, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and given approximately one year to live. She underwent aggressive surgery and radiation treatment and defied the odds, surviving for nearly a decade beyond her diagnosis. Her father Senator Ted Kennedy, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2008, reportedly drew strength from Kara's example during his own illness.

Death and Legacy

On September 16, 2011, Kara Kennedy suffered a fatal heart attack at a fitness center in Washington, D.C. She was 51 years old. Her death was linked to cumulative cardiac stress from the radiation therapy she had received during her lung cancer treatment years earlier — a recognized late effect of chest radiation. She was survived by her husband, Michael Allen, and their two children, Grace and Max. Her courage in surviving far beyond her prognosis made her a quiet inspiration within the Kennedy family.

How did Kara Kennedy die?

Kara Kennedy died of a heart attack on September 16, 2011, at a gym in Washington, D.C., at age 51. Her death was linked to cardiac damage caused by radiation therapy she had received years earlier during her treatment for lung cancer.

Did Kara Kennedy have cancer?

Yes. Kara Kennedy was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2002 and was given approximately one year to live. She underwent surgery and radiation treatment and survived for nearly a decade beyond her diagnosis, before dying of a heart attack in 2011 that was linked to her earlier radiation treatment.