Long before he became an icon, John F. Kennedy was a frail boy fighting for his life. Born into wealth but cursed with sickness, he spent much of his childhood in hospital beds, reading history and dreaming of heroes. His father, Joseph Kennedy, demanded strength and success from all his children — but young Jack could barely stand without pain. He nearly died from scarlet fever, whooping cough, and mysterious illnesses that doctors couldn’t explain. While his brothers trained to dominate politi