"THE PRESIDENT WENT BACK UPSTAIRS & WEPT"

BABY PATRICK DIES FROM HYALINE MEMBRANE DISEASE

Boston, Massachusetts (JFK+50) On August 9, 1963, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, son of President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, died after just 39 hours of life of complications from hyaline membrane disease.  

The disease, characterized by the structural immaturity of the infant's lungs, is the leading cause of death in premature births.

David Powers writes that Patrick had been transferred to the Harvard School of Public Health "where he was placed in a high-pressure chamber, where oxygen was forcibly fed to him."     

Dave said the President visited four times during the day and spent the night with Dave and Bobby on the hospital's fourth floor.

A secret service agent awakened JFK at 2 a.m. and told him that his son's condition had "taken a turn for the worse."  Baby Patrick died at 4:04 a.m.  His father said quietly, "He was a beautiful baby. He put up quite a fight."   

Dave says that the President then went back upstairs "and wept." 

SOURCE

"Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye:  Memories of John Fitzgerald Kennedy," by Kenneth P. O'Donnell and David F. Powers with Joe McCarthy, Little Brown and Company, Boston, 1970, 1972.

 

"HE SEEMS SO ALONE HERE"

BABY PATRICK KENNEDY LAID TO REST

Brookline, Massachsetts (JFK+50) On August 10, 1963, the infant son of President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, was laid to rest at Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, a suburb of Boston.

Patrick, who was born five and a half weeks premature on August 7, died in the early morning hours of August 9, only 39 hours after birth.  The Kennedy baby died as a result of complications of hyaline membrane disease which is common in premature births.

Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, recovering from the delivery at Otis Air Force Base Hospital, was unable to attend the service.

The funeral mass, celebrated by Richard Cardinal Cushing, archbishop of Boston, at his residence, was attended only by members of the immediate Kennedy family.

The gravesite at Holyhood Cemetery was only a short distance from 83 Beals Street where President John F. Kennedy was born.  According to David Powers, JFK put a gold Saint Christopher's Medal, which had been a present given to him by Jacqueline, inside the casket.

At graveside, President Kennedy "tightly gripped" Patrick's small white coffin.

Kenneth O'Donnell and David Powers wrote...

"The loss of Patrick affected the President and Jackie more deeply than anybody except their closest friends realized."

A couple of months later, JFK left the Harvard-Columbia football game at halftime to visit Patrick's grave.  The President asked Kenny O'Donnell and Dave Powers to make sure he wasn't followed by the press.

Standing in the cemetery looking down at the headstone marked "Kennedy," JFK said to Dave and Kenny...

"He seems so alone here."

After JFK's death and burial at Arlington National Cemetery, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy's remains were placed next to those of his father.

  

Grave of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy

Arlington National Cemetery

Photo by John White (2017)

          

SOURCE

"Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye:  Memories of John Fitzgerald Kennedy," by Kenneth P. O'Donnell and David F. Powers, Little Brown and Company, Boston, 1970, 1972.

"HE WAS A BEAUTIFUL BABY. HE PUT UP QUITE A FIGHT"

BABY PATRICK DIES 39 HOURS AFTER BIRTH

Boston, Massachusetts (JFK+50) On August 9, 1963, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy, son of President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, died after just 39 hours of life of complications from hyaline membrane disease. The disease, characterized by the structural immaturity of the infant's lungs, is the leading cause of death in premature births.

David Powers writes that Patrick had been transferred to the Harvard School of Public Health "where he was placed in a high-pressure chamber, where oxygen was forcibly fed to him."    Dave said the President visited four times during the day and spent the night with Dave and Bobby on the hospital's fourth floor.

A secret service agent awakened JFK at 2 a.m. and told him that his son's condition had "taken a turn for the worse."  Baby Patrick died at 4:04 a.m.  His father said quietly, "He was a beautiful baby. He put up quite a fight."  Dave says that the President then went back upstairs "and wept." 

SOURCE

"Johnny We Hardly Knew Ye:  Memories of John Fitzgerald Kennedy," by Kenneth P. O'Donnell and David F. Powers with Joe McCarthy, Little Brown and Company, Boston, 1970, 1972.

 

JOHNNY, I HARDLY KNEW YE XVI

July 29, 2012

"JOHNNY, I HARDLY KNEW YE" XVI

Knoxville, Tennessee (JFK+50) Today we continue our report of Chapter 12 of the book by Kenneth P. O'Donnell & David F. Powers with Joe McCarthy.  It is published by Little, Brown & Company.

The title of Chapter 12 is "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye"


Kenneth O'Donnell writes about August 7, 1963, the day when Jackie delivered a baby boy, 5 weeks premature, at Otis AFB.


Kenny tells us that her obstetrician, Dr. John Walsh, rushed her to the air base hospital & the President flew to be with her.


The baby, delivered by Caeserean section, weighed 4 pounds 10 1/2 ounces.


He was immediately baptized by the base chaplain & named PATRICK BOUVIER KENNEDY.


Patrick, having breathing difficulties, was transferred to Children's Medical Center in Boston & then to Harvard's School of Public Health where he was placed in a high-pressure oxygen chamber.*


*Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, also known as Hyaline membrane disease, occurs in the underdeveloped lungs of premature infants.  The condition worsens 2 to 4 days after birth.


Source: PubMedHealth @ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov


JFK spent the night at the hospital with Dave Powers.  At 2 a.m. he was informed that the baby's condition was worsening.


While waiting for the elevator, the President saw a severely burned child in one of the rooms.  He found out the mother's name & wrote a note of sympathy for her.


Dave said later...


"There he was, with his own baby dying downstairs but he had to take the time to write a note to that poor woman, asking her to keep her courage up."


Two hours later Patrick passed away.


JFK said:


"He put up quite a fight.  He was a beautiful baby."


Then the President went upstairs to his room & cried.


Patrick's funeral was celebrated by Cardinal Cushing on August 10 in the small chapel at his home.  The baby was buried at Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline near the house where JFK was born.**


Kenny goes on to say that "the loss of Patrick affected (JFK) & Jackie more deeply than anybody.....realized."


Later in October while attending a Harvard football game, JFK suddenly decided to leave & go visit Patrick's grave.


With the help of the Secret Service & a police officer, the President & Dave managed to make it to the cemetery alone.


JFK, looking at his son's grave, said to Dave: 'He seems so alone here.'


**After JFK's burial at Arlington, both Patrick's remains & those of an unnamed stillborn Kennedy infant buried at Newport were both placed beside their father.

Gravestone of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy
        Arlington National Cemetery
          Photo by wKnight94 (2011)