Eunice Kennedy Shriver Remains In Critical Condition

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of Sen. Edward Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy and a longtime champion for the disabled, remains in critical condition Sunday at Cape Cod Hospital. She has suffered a series of strokes.

Her children and family have traveled to be with her, including her son-in-law, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is married to Shriver's daughter, Maria Shriver.

Maria Shriver and Schwarzenegger were seen leaving the hospital Saturday.

Shriver has been weakened in recent years by a series of strokes. She lives in Hyannisport, near the family compound where her brother, Sen. Edward Kennedy, has been staying as he undergoes treatment for brain cancer.

Sen. Kennedy was seen leaving the compound Friday in a golf cart with his wife and dog, headed toward the area where the family sailboat is docked.

The 88-year-old Shriver is the fifth of the nine Kennedy children.

In a recent interview posted on eunicekennedyshriver.org, Sen. Kennedy said his sister has never backed down from the rest of competitive clan.

"She always strived to be the best, and she in many respects has made such an extraordinary difference in the lives of so many people around the world," he said.

Shriver is perhaps best known for her work to establish the Special Olympics, inspired in part by the struggles of her mentally disabled sister, Rosemary.

She organized the first Special Olympics in 1968 in Chicago. The two-day event drew more than 1,000 participants from 26 states and Canada. By 2003, the Special Olympics World Summer Games, held that year in Dublin, Ireland, involved more than 6,500 athletes from 150 countries.