Linda J. Kelly [Photo: Jake Koteen]

Message from Linda J. Kelly, President

Health and medical issues affect everyone at every level of society and at every stage of life – from relieving a headache or maintaining a healthy lifestyle to accessing affordable health care or treating disease.

Living with disease can consume a family.  Take young Richard, for example.  Born with sickle cell disease, Richard’s family has organized their lives around his care.  But, they are grateful for the research that leads to improvements in his treatment.

Ethel Davis Donaghue understood the often debilitating effect of disease and disability when she left her estate to the Donaghue Foundation to promote medical knowledge.  Now, the Hartford Foundation works in partnership with the Donaghue Foundation to identify and fund medical research projects conducted by local researchers.

Too many of our region’s children are dealing with obesity, which can lead to serious health issues later in life.  A new collaborative in Hartford is bringing medical, academic, government, and community organizations and residents together to promote healthy behavior in children and support them in making positive lifestyle choices.

The stories in this issue focus on a few of the many health and medical efforts funded by the Hartford Foundation.  Through the generosity of our donors, and the work of nonprofits we support, the Hartford Foundation is able to promote the health and well-being of residents of this region.