The mission of the ENBK Foundation will be to provide for the everyday healthcare needs of displaced children around the world. The main goal of the charity will be to teach pediatric nursing and healthcare skills to willing students in the areas of the world where they are most needed. The foundations highest priority is assisting the health and wellbeing of children who in the most need of it.
Never has the need been so great for helping refugee children. Currently, in Syria alone, there are over 13 million refugees, half of which are children. It is estimated that there of over 70.8 million refugee children worldwide with most of them spending an average of 20 years in refugee status. Access to healthcare is critical in childhood. There are lifelong effects for children who don't have the proper nutrition, diet, and immunizations. It is also estimated that over 6.3 million children die under the age of 5 every year.
Ellen Nora Burke Kennedy was born on February 13th, 1932 in Litchfield, CT. She grew up in a house of valedictorians who mostly went on to become teachers. Breaking from this tradition, when she was choosing a college, she decided to go into nursing. Eventually, she chose St. Josephs college in West Hartford, CT. She ended up graduating as an RNBSN at a time when that was a very rare thing for a woman to do. Upon graduation, she decided to specialize in pediatric nursing. She began her career at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, CT where she worked the pediatric ward in the hospital. During her time there she was recognized as a high performer. Because of this, The University of Connecticut approached her to start the nursing school for them. However, being pregnant with her first child, she turned down the offer in favor of raising her first child. She eventually ended up having 8 children in total, 7 boys and 1 girl. After the children were successfully raised, she went back to her nursing roots by becoming a school nurse. Always having a love for nursing and children, she helped countless kids come into this world and tended to their needs both physically and emotionally. Many time the school children would announce that they were 'sick' so that they could visit the school nurse. This charity is to embody the spirit of care that she brought to the children of this world and represent a symbol of her kindness and giving that she displayed throughout her life.