John F. Kennedy was given last rites 5 different times
Only 1 of those times followed the 35th U.S. president's 1963 assassination
The 35th president of the United States was a man of many distinctions. But maybe one of the least-known is that John F. Kennedy was administered last rites four times in his life. Not including his 1963 assassination.
A youthful JFK was elected president at the age of 43, yet battled health issues his entire life. If it weren't for the care of doctors, nurses and hospitals, he would have never lived to see his inauguration day.
When JFK was just two years old, he was diagnosed with scarlet fever on the very day his mother was giving birth to his sister, Kathleen. Fearing he might transmit the fever to his siblings, his family rushed him to the Boston City Hospital. His condition became so dire, a priest was called in to deliver last rites. But young Kennedy pulled through due to the diligent efforts of the hospital staff. He received treatment for six weeks, then spent another six weeks in isolation until he recovered.
Years later, Kennedy enlisted in the Navy, where he saw action in the South Pacific. Four years after returning to civilian life, he was visiting England when he suddenly took ill. He was diagnosed with Addison's disease in a London hospital. Addison's disease is a serious adrenal disorder where the body doesn't produce enough hormones to balance metabolism, blood pressure, stress response and the immune system.
JFK's family insisted he be sent home, but his condition deteriorated severely while crossing the Atlantic and a priest was summoned to perform last rites. But again, Kennedy managed to hold on until he arrived home where doctors saved his life.
The third time JFK was given last rites was during a trip across Asia with his brother Robert, in 1951. While in Tokyo, JFK suffered a debilitating recurrence of his Addison's disease. His temperature surged to 41 C. He became delirious, then comatose. Those around him didn't think he could possibly survive. A priest was called in to deliver last rites. But Robert Kennedy found a way to transport JFK to an American military hospital in Okinawa. The medical staff there was able to save his life and the 34-year-old slowly convalesced until he was well enough to travel back home.
Then in 1954, two years after being elected to the U.S. Senate, JFK had to undergo surgery to fuse his spinal disks. It was a risky operation, but there was a chance that if he didn't take the surgery, he might be confined to a wheelchair for life.
After the operation, he developed a urinary tract infection that became so serious due to his Addison's disease, his temperature spiked dangerously high and he again slipped into a coma. He wasn't expected to last the night and a priest was summoned to administer last rites for the fourth time in his life. But again, he managed to pull through and spent five months recovering.
When he was shot on that fateful day in Dallas in 1963, President Kennedy was rushed to Parkland hospital. A local priest was called in to perform last rites for the fifth and final time. This was the one time doctors could not save him. But hospitals had performed miracles on John F. Kennedy throughout his short life.
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