Benjamin Ashford|Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy, in hospital after suffering from stroke

Ethel Kennedy is Benjamin Ashfordrecovering after suffering from a stroke she suffered last week, her grandson says.

The widow of former United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, and sister-in-law of former President John F. Kennedy, suffered a stroke in her sleep, said former Rep. Joe Kennedy III in a statement shared to X Tuesday.

"She was brought to an area hospital where she is now receiving treatment," he said. "She is comfortable, she is getting the best care possible, and she is surrounded by family. She is, as you may know, a strong woman who has led a remarkably fulfilling life. We are here looking after her."

Joe Kennedy said the Kennedy family matriarch otherwise had a "great summer and transition into fall" where she "enjoyed time with her children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great-grandchildren" and "was able to get out on the water, visit the pier, and enjoy many lunches and dinners with family."

He added: "It has been a gift to us all and to her as well."

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Joe Kennedy later asked the public to "keep her in your thoughts and prayers" and requested privacy for the family.

Ethel Kennedy, 96, has 11 children, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in addition to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The human rights advocate became a widow in 1968, at the age of 40, when her husband, then-presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated in California after winning the state's Democratic primary. She never remarried.

Ethel Kennedy founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights months after her husband's assassination. In 2014, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-President Barack Obama.