The power of family. Katherine Schwarzenegger shared a touching message about her loved ones days after her second cousin Saoirse Kennedy Hill died from a suspected overdose.
“After wiping away the tears, after the beautiful sunsets, there is always a new day,” the author, 29, wrote on Instagram on Tuesday, August 6. “It’s not the big events or pretty things that hold you up at the end of the day, it’s family. I feel so incredibly blessed to be part of such a loving, supportive and strong family that shows up in good times and in tough times. I love each and every one of them and am so grateful to have them in my life.”
Alongside the caption, Schwarzenegger uploaded a photo of the sunset in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, where the Kennedy family’s historic estate is located.
Kennedy Hill was found unresponsive at the compound on Thursday, August 1. She was rushed to Cape Cod Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at the age of 22 that afternoon.
“Our hearts are shattered by the loss of our beloved Saoirse,” the Kennedy family said in a statement to The New York Times. “Her life was filled with hope, promise and love.”
The Boston College senior’s grandmother Ethel Kennedy added, “The world is a little less beautiful today.”
Schwarzenegger and her mother, Maria Shriver, were among the many relatives who attended Kennedy Kill’s wake and funeral earlier in the week at the family’s estate, where Ethel, 91, lives.
Shriver, 63, previously paid tribute to Kennedy Hill on Instagram, writing, “A brave young woman left our world yesterday. She left a gaping hole in the lives of those who loved her dearly. May god bless her. May god hold her parents during this unbearable hour and give them the strength to make it thru. Amen.”
The college student’s official cause of death remains under investigation.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
