Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), a long-time advocate for women’s rights, left the hospital this morning following a biopsy. The senator was diagnosed over the weekend with a malignant brain tumor. Senator Kennedy’s neurologist Dr. Lee Schwamm and physician Dr. Larry Ronan told the press, “Senator Kennedy has recovered remarkably quickly from his Monday procedure and therefore will be released from the hospital today ahead of schedule.”
Senator Kennedy’s brain tumor is called a glioma and is the most common type of brain tumor, reports the Washington Post. Dr. Bernadine Healy, Health Editor of USA Today was interviewed on CBS this morning about her brain cancer diagnosis 10 years ago. Dr. Healy, who was also the first woman to head the National Institutes of Health, cautioned against generalizing about the prognosis for Senator Kennedy. Dr. Healy emphasized that every individual is different and Senator Kennedy “looks fine” and is “ready to engage in a fight.”
Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, said, “Feminists throughout the nation are sending him their best wishes. Throughout his career, Senator Kennedy has been a champion of women’s rights. He is currently leading the drive to pass the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which seeks to overturn the recent Supreme Court ruling that guts the ability for women workers to sue for wage discrimination.”
