>> jack kennedy was elected to the house of representatives. >> but jack's exertions on the campaign trail take a heavy toll. >> he gets sick. and doctors determine that he has addison's disease which leads to a weak immune system, making him susceptible to diseases and infections. >> at first the doctors think jack is going to die young. but they are it developing treatments at this time that can effectively keep jack alive. >> the family don't want jack's illness to become an open story, so in fact the story goes out to the press that jack is suffering from a recurring bout of malaria. >> at just 30 years old, jack faces his own mortality. he was a fatalist. he talked about death a lot. it didn't scare him.