Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent candidate for the US presidency, disclosed an unusual health issue he faced in 2010, as reported by the New York Times. He claimed that a worm had infiltrated his brain, causing damage before perishing.
These revelations surfaced from a deposition in a divorce case dating back to 2012, obtained by the Times. Prior to this, Kennedy had exhibited alarming symptoms including memory loss and mental fog, prompting concerns of a brain tumor.
Doctors, drawing parallels with the medical history of Kennedy’s late uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, initially suspected a tumor. However, a physician at New York-Presbyterian hospital suggested an alternative diagnosis: a parasite in Kennedy’s brain.
Kennedy later revealed that he also suffered from mercury poisoning, likely due to his high consumption of fish. In the deposition, he acknowledged cognitive impairments, such as short and long-term memory loss, though he claimed to have since recovered.
Despite health setbacks including cardiac issues and spasmodic dysphonia, Kennedy, aged 70, has emphasized his physical fitness, contrasting himself with older political figures like Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Kennedy’s campaign, marked by his controversial stance on Covid vaccines and other outsider positions, has raised concerns among both left and right-leaning observers. With ballot access in key states, his candidacy could potentially divert crucial votes from Biden and Trump.
The 2012 deposition, obtained during Kennedy’s divorce from his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, highlighted his diminished earning capacity due to neurological and cognitive issues.
Kennedy attributed the brain anomaly to a parasite possibly contracted in southern Asia, although experts speculate it may have been a pork tapeworm larva. The symptoms associated with such parasites range from seizures to headaches and dizziness.
While Kennedy claimed severe memory loss, experts suggest that mercury poisoning is more commonly linked to such cognitive impairments.
In addition to discussing his health challenges, Kennedy mentioned undergoing a unique vocal cord surgery in Japan last year, unavailable in the US, to address his spasmodic dysphonia.
His deposition also touched upon his heart problems, which he attributed to stress, caffeine, and sleep deprivation, likening the sensation to “a bag of worms in my chest.”
