Eunice Kennedy Schriver has passed away. She was a part of the Kennedy clan as sister to Senator Ted Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy. She was also an advocate for the intellectually disabled. At a time when families, especially prominent families, hid their disabled relatives, she went public about her sister, Rosemary. She founded the Special Olympics.
Her family has issued the following statement:
She was the light of our lives, a mother, wife, grandmother, sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion what it means to live a faith-driven life of love and service to others
President Obama is quoted as saying:
“But above all, she will be remembered as the founder of the Special Olympics, as a champion for people with intellectual disabilities, and as an extraordinary woman who, as much as anyone, taught our nation — and our world — that no physical or mental barrier can restrain the power of the human spirit”
CNN has a quote Mrs. Schriver made before her passing on her work with the intellectually disabled.
Most people believe I spent my whole life really interested in only one thing and that one thing is working to make the world a better place for people with intellectual disabilities.
“As important as it has been, it is not the whole story of my life. My life is about being lucky as a child to be raised by parents who loved me and made me believe in possibilities. It is also about being lucky to have had these extraordinary children. … It is also about being especially lucky to have a wonderful husband.”
Left Brain Right Brain 
It’s very possible that Rosemary Kennedy, Eunice’s sister, was autistic. She was described as being slow, shy, just mildly retarded. But what destroyed her mind was a lobotomy that was done on her after the family became concerned with her intense “mood swings”. Rose was in her 20’s. She was a good-looking young woman. How sad to imagine what she and other people in the spectrum went through in the past – lobotomies, electroshocks…
Ugh.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosemary_Kennedy#Lobotomy
Barbaric. Poor Rosemary.
Sad to hear about both, but glad that EKS took up an advocacy role. From what I have read, Special Olympics gives a lot of people the chance to feel good with their participation and accomplishments. (I have read about at least one spectrum person who has been there more than once. (Yay Nate!))