The Amy and Ruth Keane Foundation for Women
"We're here for professional women when they need it the most."
I started my professional life as a radiology technologist; a while later I advanced my career by entering medical school. Through much hard work and determination I became an Internal Medicine Doctor and Geriatrician. Feeling proud of my accomplishment, having a loving family, wonderful friends and being an example to the younger women in my family … I felt good about my life.
But, as it would happen, I suffered a few major life-changing events. I lost my only daughter who was just 10 years old to Sickle Cell disease. And, in that same year, I went through a divorce and had to pay alimony for eight years. Because of the grief I felt over my daughter’s death, I couldn’t work and fell desperately behind in paying student loans, credit card bills and my mortgage that lead to the threat of losing my home. In essence, you could say that I loss everything suddenly! It took working as a Hospitalist seven days a week, twelve hours shifts between Georgia and Louisiana, to pull my life back together.
However as life would have it, 10 years after pulling my life together, I found myself in another life crisis with the fear of losing it all again. The Amy and Ruth Keane Foundation was formed realizing that other professional women could possibly be experiencing similar crisis in their lives.
Why only professional women? The answer is simple: because we are viewed differently than other women. We’re seen as having it all together
Founder: Dr. Gillian Ellis
One symbolic meaning
of a White Rose is ...
Friendship
with little need for help because our impressive homes and professions are on display. But hardship, depression, illness and financial loss happens to us as well as any other woman… I know because it happened to me.
I’ve gone through a lot in young life; however, if it was not for the grace of God, and His calling on my life, I would not have been able to rise above those critical circumstances. With Him, I have the strength and willpower to share my story and to help other professional women who are suffering hardships through the Amy and Ruth Keane Foundation for Women.
Who are Amy and Ruth Keane?
Amy Keane was my maternal grandmother who had twelve children. Her twin sister Ruth Keane, unfortunately, lost her child prematurely and was unable to give birth to any more children. However, Ruth was very instrumental in helping my grandmother Amy, in raising her children who subsequently had the blessing of having two mothers. Both of these wonderful, kindhearted and loving women exemplified the meaning of family support and true love. Today, Amy and Ruth have fifty grand and great grandchildren, forty of whom are women.
The Amy and Ruth Keane Foundation for Women is in honor of these two sister’s caring hearts, selflessness, strength, character and outreached hands that typified Love and Support.
Dr. Gillian A. Ellis