Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy, hospitalized after stroke

Ethel Kennedy, the widow of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the sister-in-law of the late U.S. President John F. Kennedy, has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, her family announced on Tuesday.

Kennedy, who is 96, suffered a stroke in her sleep last Thursday and was taken to an area hospital, where she continued to receive treatment on Tuesday, according to her grandson, Joe Kennedy III.

“She is comfortable, she is getting the best care possible, and she is surrounded by family,” Joe said in a statement. “She is, as you may know, a strong woman who has led a remarkably fulfilling life. We are here looking after her.”

Joe said Kennedy had a “great summer and transition into fall” during which she enjoyed time with her children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

“She was able to get out on the water, visit the pier, and enjoy many lunches and dinners with family,” he said. “It has been a gift to all of us and to her as well.”

Joe added: “Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. We ask that you respect our family’s privacy at this time.”

Ethel Kennedy is a human rights advocate who was married to Robert F. Kennedy, the U.S. Senator from New York who was running for president when he was assassinated in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968.

His assassination came less than 5 years after his brother, President John F. Kennedy, was shot and killed while riding a presidential motorcade through Dallas, Texas.

Ethel Kennedy founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights in 1968 to promote a just and peaceful world. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.