Patrick Bouvier Kennedy

Patrick Bouvier Kennedy was born on August 7, 1963, at the Otis Air Force Base Hospital in Bourne, Massachusetts. His birth occurred prematurely at five and a half weeks early, weighing approximately 4 pounds 10.5 ounces (2.11 kilograms). He was the youngest child of President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. His older siblings included Caroline, John Jr., and Arabella. Patrick was named after his great-grandfather Patrick Joseph Kennedy, and his middle name Bouvier was derived from his mother's maiden name.

At the time of his birth, Jacqueline Kennedy was in her third trimester of pregnancy and had previously experienced a miscarriage in 1955 and a stillbirth in 1956. Her previous children, Caroline (born 1957) and John Jr. (born 1960), were healthy. Due to John's history of prematurity, Jacqueline's obstetrician, Dr. John W. Walsh, accompanied her during her summer stay in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. On the morning of August 7, while her children were riding ponies in Osterville, Massachusetts, Jacqueline experienced labor pains. She was transported via helicopter to Otis Air Force Base Hospital, with President Kennedy at the White House.

The birth coincided with the 20th anniversary of President Kennedy's rescue in World War II, when he was rescued after being stranded on a Pacific island. Kennedy, who had commanded the PT-109 torpedo boat, kept memorabilia in the Oval Office related to his wartime experience. Some believe that Kennedy perceived the timing of his son's birth as symbolically significant, given this personal and historical context.

Following his premature birth, Patrick exhibited symptoms of hyaline membrane disease (HMD), now known as infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS), characterized by breathing difficulties. He was baptized promptly and given the name Patrick. President Kennedy was allowed to see and hold his son in an incubator. Medical specialist Dr. James E. Drorbaught was flown from Boston to consult on Patrick’s condition and recommended transferring him to Boston Children's Hospital. The transfer by ambulance took approximately 90 minutes.

The infant was placed in a hyperbaric chamber and received experimental hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Despite intensive medical efforts, Patrick Kennedy died on August 9, 1963, at 4:04 a.m., after living for approximately 39 hours and 12 minutes. At the time of his death, President Kennedy was outside the hospital room with his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Jacqueline Kennedy was recovering from her cesarean section at the hospital.

A private funeral mass was held on August 10, 1963, at Cardinal Richard Cushing’s chapel in Boston. The ceremony was attended by family members, but Caroline and John Jr., then five and two years old, did not participate. Patrick Kennedy was initially buried at Holyhood Cemetery in Brookline, Massachusetts, alongside his stillborn sister Arabella. In December 1963, his remains, along with Arabella's, were reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery, in Section 45, Grid U-35, and later moved to their permanent graves.

Kennedy's death influenced neonatal medicine significantly. It increased public awareness of HMD, spurring further research and development in neonatal care, including advancements in ventilators, blood gas testing, and newborn intensive care practices. Research into treatments like artificial pulmonary surfactant was motivated by the recognition of the disease. The widespread adoption of modern neonatal care methods has since improved survival rates for premature infants.

Throughout his life, Patrick Bouvier Kennedy's brief existence and death had lasting effects on medical research and policy, as well as on his family, notably fostering closer relationships among his parents and siblings.