Spotlight: Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, 88, founder of the Special Olympics and sister to her more famous brothers, Jack, Bobby and Ted, is in critical condition at a Cape Cod, Mass., hospital after suffering a series of strokes.

Mrs. Shriver, whose daughter and son-in-law are Maria Shriver and California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, created the Special Olympics in the late 1960s to exhibit that sports were accessible for even those with disabilities. She also was inspired to start the national organization by her sister, Rosemary, who was mentally disabled. Her son, Tim, now runs the organization.

She also helped found the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), which is part of the National Institutes of Health, in 1962.