Pray For Sen. Ted Kennedy

Kennedy stricken on Cape Cod,

rushed to Boston hospital
By MARTIN KADY II 5/17/08 Sen.

Kennedy was rushed to the hospital after suffering two seizures

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, scion of one of America’s most enduring political dynasties, was rushed to the hospital Saturday after suffering what his staff called a "seizure."
The 76-year-old senator was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston after falling ill at his home on Cape Cod.
And "after discussion with his doctors in Boston,” spokeswoman Melissa Wagoner said, “Senator Kennedy was sent to Massachusetts General Hospital for further examination. He is currently under evaluation, and information will be released as it becomes available."
Several hours later, his staff released a more optimistic assessment after CNN reported that the senator had telephoned family from the hospital.

"It appears that Senator Kennedy experienced a seizure this morning. He is undergoing a battery of tests at Massachusetts General Hospital to determine the cause of the seizure,’’ Wagoner said. “Senator Kennedy is resting comfortably, and it is unlikely we will know anything more for the next 48 hours."
Kennedy's wife, Victoria, was reported at his side in the hospital. Massachusetts’ other senator, John F. Kerry, the unsuccessful Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, also visited the hospital briefly, but did not stop to talk to reporters. News that Kennedy had been stricken dominated the cable networks throughout the day, with commentators reviewing his enduring public career. Ted Sorenson and other former aides to Kennedy’s brother, the late President John F. Kennedy, offered overviews of Kennedy family history, and friends in the political world told stories from throughout his political career, spanning nearly five decades. In the Senate since 1962, Kennedy has become one of the leading surrogates for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. A liberal lion of the Senate, Kennedy is chairman of the Senate Education and Labor Committee and one of the most skilled legislators in the chamber. He has had health problems, and his current condition was serious enough for him to be airlifted to Boston. Senate sources, though, were being very careful about discussing the senator’s condition, given the potential seriousness of the "stroke-like symptoms" that were first reported.

Last October, at Massachusetts General, Kennedy had surgery to relieve major blockage in one of his carotid arteries – an often-used procedure to prevent a stroke. He recovered quickly and has been very active, back in the Senate and on the campaign trail for Obama in his tight race against Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.)

Kennedy is America's last living link to the romanticized "Camelot" era of John F. Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy of the 1960s. The Cape Cod Times reported that local rescue crews responded to an emergency call from the Kennedy compound at 8:30 this morning. The newspaper has also posted a picture of Kennedy being carried to a helicopter on Cape Cod. The Kennedys were in Hyannisport, Mass., this weekend to host the annual “Best Buddies Challenge” event — a charity for people with disabilities. “We are putting in a call to Vicki Kennedy,” Obama told reporters. “And we are going to try to find out as quickly as possible what is going on. Obviously my thoughts and prayers are with Teddy. He is one of my favorite people. Hopefully he is going to be OK.” Carrie Budoff Brown contributed to this story.

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Our Prayers Are With The Kennedy Family.