Kyle Kennedy, RFK granddaughter, dies at 42 after spinal cord injury paralysis

Kyle Kennedy, granddaughter of Robert and Ethel Kennedy, died September 21 at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts, at age 42, roughly six years after a spinal cord injury caused her long-term paralysis and other medical challenges. The specific cause of death has not been determined. Kennedy, one of 34 grandchildren, dedicated her life to early childhood education, starting with Teach for America in New York City public schools. She later advocated for people with disabilities, including testifying at the Massachusetts state house on discrimination in disabled health care. Her father, Michael L. Kennedy, died in a 1997 skiing accident, and her grandfather was assassinated in 1968. She is survived by her two sons, Conor and Declan, her ex-husband Liam, her mother Victoria, and her siblings Michael and Rory.