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AAP News Vol. 30 No. 9 September 2009, p. 5 © 2009 American Academy of Pediatrics
Eunice Kennedy Shriver opened doors for children with special needsTrisha KoriothStaff Writer Eunice Kennedy Shriver, whose vision and passion opened many doors for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, died Aug. 11 at age 88. Mrs. Shriver’s advocacy led to establishment of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in 1962 to encourage research into the processes of human development. NICHD was renamed the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in 2008. "The entire world owes a debt to Eunice Kennedy Shriver for her foresight in calling for an institute at the National Institutes of Health to study the myriad aspects of human development, both as it unfolds without problems and when medical and environmental factors prevent it from doing so," NICHD Director Duane Alexander, M.D., FAAP, said in a statement. Mrs. Shriver also founded Special Olympics to give children and adults with intellectual disabilities opportunities to develop physical fitness and experience the joy of competing in sports. The organization has grown from 1,000 athletes, who competed in the inaugural Special Olympics in 1968, to more than 3 million athletes today.
From the start, Mrs. Shriver supported the shift from institutionalized care to family-centered care. "She always thought of the family being part of the life of the retarded person. So we have over the years encouraged as much as possible, the participation of the family," said Robert E. Cooke, M.D., FAAP, a member of the first National Advisory Child Health and Human Development Council under President John F. Kennedy’s administration. Dr. Cooke worked alongside Mrs. Shriver during NICHD’s founding and was a key medical consultant for Special Olympics for more than 40 years thereafter. Without Mrs. Shriver, solutions to common problems may have yet to be discovered: NICHD research resulting in a vaccine for Haemophilus influenzae type B and blood test for phenylketonuria; and preventive care visits for Special Olympians that uncover previously unrecognized vision, hearing and dental health needs. As recently as last year, Mrs. Shriver served as a driving force behind improved coverage of mental health services through her advocacy for the passage of the Mental Health Parity Act. "Not only was she concerned about the current services and experiences of special needs children, but she was committed to research in the area of children with disabilities so that perhaps the next generation will be better off," said AAP President David T. Tayloe Jr., M.D., FAAP. Mrs. Shriver is survived by her husband, R. Sargent Shriver Jr., five children and 19 grandchildren. Mrs. Shriver’s son, Timothy P. Shriver, Ph.D., chair and CEO of the Special Olympics, was the keynote speaker at the 2008 AAP National Conference & Exhibition in Boston.
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