JFK’s sister devoted her life to the welfare of the mentally disabled
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, 88, founder of the Special Olympics passed away this morning after a series of strokes at Cape Cod Hospital in Massachusetts.
Member of the Kennedy political dynasty, sister of President John F. Kennedy, Shriver devoted her live to the welfare of the mentally disabled. Shriver organized the Special Olympics in 1968, which has grown into a yearly competition which includes more than 2.5 million athletes in 180 countries. In 1982, Shriver founded the Community of Caring, a program targeted at preventing teen pregnancy, and the intellectual disabilities associated with children with teen mothers. Among other honours, Shriver was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian award by President Reagan in 1984.