1-800-395-1087
Meet Our Donors
We thank all our planned-gift donors for their generous support. Here are some of their stories.
Charitable Gift Annuities
Roger and Margaret Denton - Giving today to help tomorrow's children
Roger and Margaret Denton have been helping the children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for nearly a decade as Partners in Hope, but they recently decided to take their support to the next level.
The parents of three grown children and the grandparents of four, Roger and Margaret had already considered remembering St. Jude in their will. "We had discussed it with the kids, and they were very supportive," Roger said.
Then he read information from St. Jude describing some of the benefits of a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA), which allows donors to make a planned gift to St. Jude and receive fixed payments for life in return.
"It got me thinking," he explained, "Why not do it now? The annuity rates are attractive and it is nice to receive dependable income from it. But my main motivation (in establishing the CGA) is to make a meaningful gift now that I know will go to the hospital when I pass away."
Roger retired from a 32-year career with the U.S. Postal Service a few years ago and now works a few days a month as a partner in a car dealership in his home of Campbell, Texas. Margaret worked for the local electrical company for many years.
"We're not wealthy, and like lots of others we lost some money in the stock market. But at our age it doesn't take much to provide what we need," he explained.
Roger said he wanted to make sure that establishing a CGA with St. Jude would be safe, "so I read a lot about it and checked with several people who knew a lot," including his financial advisor.
"They basically said I could look the world over and I couldn't find a safer place," he said, adding that he hopes to establish additional CGAs with St. Jude in the future.
Roger and Margaret love to travel, and they recently made their first trip to St. Jude for a Partner In Hope event, an experience Roger said "humbled us and left us even more motivated to help."
"When I got back I tried to tell my grandkids about it, but I got too emotional trying to explain all the wonderful things we saw being done for the children," he said.
"I just want to tell people everywhere that if you are going to donate to anyone, donate to St. Jude."
Learn more about Charitable Gift Annuities
Doris and Dale Urbain - Devoted to Helping Children
For Doris and Dale Urbain, retirement is not about taking it easy.
The former school teachers spend much of their time on the run, often literally, to help children and families in their community of Burnsville, Minn. as well as such places as Memphis, Tenn., Nicaragua and Jamaica.
When they are not busy helping those less fortunate, you often find the Urbains on the jogging track helping raise money for them. They have logged numerous marathons and half-marathons, 5-K and 10-K races for charity.
"We help out whenever we can," says Doris, just days before she and Dale left for a month-long trip to a remote village in Nicaragua, where they helped repair local schools. Two weeks after they returned from Nicaragua, they left for Jamaica to volunteer in a children's home in the mountains.
Back at home in Minnesota, they volunteer at local charities often. And about three times a year, they travel to Memphis so they can volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House, a housing facility for St. Jude patients and their families receiving treatment lasting between one week and three months.
Their interest in St. Jude and Ronald McDonald House began about five years ago, when the grandson of one of Dale's life-long friends was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The Urbains came to Memphis to visit the family, who was staying at the Ronald McDonald House, and they have supported St. Jude ever since.
"Before I went, I didn't know if I could deal with seeing the hospital," recalls Doris. "I was so pleasantly surprised. It was such a cheerful, happy place. We were particularly impressed with the nurses and how much they did for the children. I've never been in a place that felt like that. Until you've experienced it, you can't appreciate it."
Their friend's grandson recovered and today, at age 10, is active and healthy. "Seeing him run and play now is just wonderful," she says. "It's a miracle, really."
Although the couple never had children of their own, they have touched countless young lives in their 40 years of teaching and their continued volunteer work. When Doris received an inheritance from her late father recently, it was typical of the couple to want to use it to help others. They discussed the options and decided to establish a charitable gift annuity with St. Jude, because it would help save children with cancer and catastrophic diseases in this country and around the world.
"We knew my parents would be happy about it going to help the children," says Doris. She adds that they appreciate the tax deduction they received in making the gift, as well as the regular payments she and Dale will receive for the rest of their lives. As a result, they decided to take out a second St. Jude gift annuity a short time later.
"We really feel St. Jude is fantastic," says Doris. "And because we have been to St. Jude and seen what they do, we know the money will be well spent."
Learn more about Charitable Gift Annuities
Ed Zimmerman — Helping Children Have a Childhood
Ed Zimmerman has succeeded in many roles - as an auditor and accountant, a police commissioner, a town selectman and a state representative to name a few.
Now retired and living on the South Carolina coast, his life is simpler. "I am enjoying life and doing anything I can do to help children have a childhood," he says.
A supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for 20 years, Ed is using planned gifts to accomplish his dream of helping children overcome disease and go on with their lives. He has made St. Jude the main beneficiary of his estate, and at the end of 2006, he established his first St. Jude Charitable Gift Annuity.
He says the gift annuity was something he considered doing for several years, and his St. Jude senior philanthropic advisor made it easy to arrange. He has been pleased with the benefits the gift annuity provides him and the support it will provide St. Jude in the future.
"I like the fact that I have five years to use the charitable contribution, and that only part of the income I receive is treated as capital gains," he says. Ed traded in certificates of deposit (CDs) and other investment sources to establish the charitable annuity. "The payments keep up with or are better than rates I can receive from banks." He says that he is considering establishing a second annuity with St. Jude this year.
Ed, 65, retired from his job as controller for a large New Hampshire car dealership in January 2001 after experiencing what he thought was a heart attack. "It turned out to be stress and anxiety, but that's when I decided it was time to take it easier," he says. He moved to Blufton, S.C., from his home in Northfield, N.H., after many years of public service to the community. Ed had served as a town selectman for 15 years, a police commissioner for eight years, a member of several planning and zoning boards, and as a representative in the New Hampshire legislature for two terms.
He said good-bye to politics as well as his career when he retired and says he doesn't miss either. But he continues his favorite past-times: motorcycling, fishing and bicycling.
And he continues to give to the children of St. Jude. When he visited the hospital last April as part of the Danny Thomas - St. Jude Society Luncheon, he was impressed by St. Jude's "level of concern for the child and family." He says that he is pleased that St. Jude does everything it can to help patients and their families maintain as normal a life as possible. He particularly enjoyed the tour of Target House, where patients live with their families when they must undergo long-term treatments. "Providing a home-like place where families can stay together and get to know other families really helps put patients and siblings at ease," he says.
That is why he has chosen to leave his legacy to the children of St. Jude, both through vehicles like the Charitable Gift Annuity and through his estate. "Basically 100 percent of what I have will go to St. Jude," he says, "because I want to do everything I can to help the children."
Learn more about a Charitable Gift Annuities
Garnet Trosper – The Benefits of Giving
Garnet Trosper grew up in “the cotton patch of Southern Missouri,” learned the watch making trade in Memphis on the GI bill, and with his late wife, Buena, built a successful plate engraving business there -- United Rubber Die Service.
After successfully steering the company through the electronic printing revolution, Garnet and Buena sold their business to their employees about five years ago and moved to a 100-acre home overlooking the White River near Cotter, Ark.
But Garnet, who drives a 15-year-old car, says that money, “really doesn’t mean anything, once you get beyond a certain point. But if you can use it for something good, like helping a child recover from cancer . . . how could anyone ask for more?”
That conviction led the couple to transfer stock to a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Charitable Gift Annuity in 2006. They paid significantly less in capital gains tax than they would had they cashed the stock, and Garnet receives generous income from the annuity. “The tax benefits are very meaningful for anyone with capital gain stocks in their portfolio,” Garnet says. “The benefit is two-fold – it’s good for St. Jude and it’s good for the donor.”
The Trospers decided to make the legacy gift after their youngest son, Rich Trosper, a gifted percussionist, died of lung cancer in April 2006, at the age of 41. “We decided that the money that would have gone to Rich should be donated to various charities,” he says. In addition to the St. Jude annuity, they made a significant gift to help build a 12-room Hospice house for their area.
Sadly, Buena passed away in May 2007 after being ill for several years. Garnet has one daughter and one grandchild. Another son died in an auto accident in 1983.
Garnet, 81, keeps a positive attitude by actively pursuing his many interests, which include fly fishing, flying in his own small plane, restoring antique fishing rods, jewelry and watch repair, and playing the piano – primarily Dixieland, jazz and swing. “I love music, and I love to dance,” he says. “I like to do so many things – there have never been enough hours in a day for me.”
But he has always made time to help support the children of St. Jude. In fact, The Trospers donated to St. Jude “almost from the beginning.” Garnet fondly recalls riding an elevator in downtown Memphis with Danny Thomas. “He spoke to me like he knew me -- I have never had a famous person treat me so personably.”
Since that time Garnet has witnessed tremendous progress and growth at St. Jude. “What impresses me most about St. Jude is how much they have improved the survival rate for childhood cancer,” he says. “It’s unbelievable to think I’ve been a part of it…thinking about that really helps you sleep well at night.”
Learn more about a Charitable Gift Annuities
Francis Rasmus – The Fun of Giving
Francis Rasmus, 65, is now retired after more than 45 years in the insurance industry. Although he always made a modest income, he saved and invested his money very wisely. As a result, Mr. Rasmus now devotes most of his time to his passions - visiting museums, attending concerts and plays and supporting the causes dear to his heart.
"Making a difference while you are alive is more rewarding than waiting until you are gone," he explains. "I'm having the time of my life giving my money away." Mr. Rasmus favors charitable gift annuities (CGAs) because "you can put your money to work now. You get a tax deduction, and some of the money is tax free." In addition, he says, CGAs provide "you or someone you care about with a regular income for life, and you help a charity . . . It's a fun thing to do."
In fact, Mr. Rasmus likes CGAs so much he has more than 65 of them, including one he recently established with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The many charities he supports in various ways include the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Philadelphia Orchestra, in his hometown, as well as The Smithsonian, The National Gallery of Art, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Father Flanagan's Boys' Home, the National Parks Conservation Association, and The Archdiocese of Baltimore, to name a few.
While his biggest interests are the arts and the environment, he gives to St. Jude because, "as a result of your work, kids are alive today who wouldn't have survived (catastrophic illnesses) just a few years ago. As important as preserving art is, it isn't the same as saving a child's life."
Helping others is something Mr. Rasmus learned to do as a young child. "I can remember my grandmother telling me, ‘It's time to send money to Father Flanagan again.' If people involve their children in giving when they are very young, it teaches values they will have the rest of their lives."
Although he has no children of his own, Mr. Rasmus believes he can set an example for others to follow. The story of what he was able to achieve with a middle-income salary, he says "is not about me, but about what I can do for others. I'm only the messenger." And the message, he says, is that you don't have to make a big salary to make a big difference.
Learn more about a Charitable Gift Annuities
Making giving a way of life - Tom and Eleanor Hicks
About 20 years ago, Thomas “Buck” and Eleanor Hicks were visiting his World War II buddy in Ohio. The friend told Buck that for only $16 a month, he could support vital research at St. Jude.
It was an easy decision for the newly retired couple. “Eleanor and I had everything we needed,” said Buck. “We have always been very conservative. I call it a ‘Depression hangover.’”
A few years later, Buck and Eleanor started using part of their retirement income to create charitable gift annuities with St. Jude. In exchange, they receive fixed payments for life, which they then use to establish additional gift annuities.
Since a portion of the Hicks’ gift annuities will be used to help the children of St. Jude, they enjoy a generous charitable tax deduction in the year of their gift. A portion of each payment they receive is also free of income tax for a period of time.
They now have a number of St. Jude gift annuities and plan to use the income to help fund long-term healthcare costs should the need arise. By doing so, they hope to preserve more of their estate for their children and grandchildren.
“I was familiar with the concept of commercial annuities through my work in the insurance industry,” Buck explained. “But a charitable gift annuity provides financial support for St. Jude as well as providing a lifetime income for us.”
Buck added that “about 84 percent of St. Jude’s charitable gifts go toward the needs of the hospital and the children. That shows St. Jude uses its funds wisely.”
Learn more about Charitable Gift Annuities
St. Jude CGA Helps Taylors
Achieve Their Goals
Children have always been important to Evelyn and Allen Taylor, even though they never had children of their own.
Evelyn taught children's Sunday school for many years and their niece, Teresa Beasley, remembers how much fun it was to visit them as a child.
"I loved to come to their farm, and my aunt loved to have us in her home, whether it was in the summer to enjoy vegetables from her garden and sit in the swing under the big oak tree; or to enjoy the warmth of her home in the winter with coffee and home-made dessert. She especially enjoyed sharing family photos and the stories behind them."
Uncle Allen recently asked Teresa to research ways he could provide regular income for him and Evelyn while also helping children.
"Our investments had not been drawing much interest, and we wanted to do something that would provide us with another source of secure income," Allen explains. "But we also wanted to be able to help others."
Teresa contacted St. Jude, and learned that a St. Jude Charitable Gift Annuity could provide a safe, predictable income for her aunt and uncle for the rest of their lives while also providing a significant gift in support of St. Jude.
Teresa's daughter, Angela, works in St. Jude's pathology department, so the family understood how important such gifts are in furthering St. Jude's breakthrough research and care of children.
"He and Angela are very close, and she tells him about her work, which really brings the significance of their gift home," explains Teresa.
Evelyn and Allen have lived on the same farm in McNairy County, Tennessee for approximately 50 years – the farm he purchased in 1950 with money saved by working 70 hours a week as a mechanic.
"I began by greasing cars for 50 cents an hour," he recalls. He married Evelyn in 1938 and continued to save every penny as he moved up in auto mechanics and body shop work. Evelyn worked at Ben Franklin and then a bank. With their savings, Allen began buying and selling farm real estate so they could realize their dream of having their own farm.
"I wanted to work for myself, out in the open air," he says. The farm they purchased is only 10 miles from where Evelyn grew up. There the couple raised cotton, corn, soybeans and Angus cattle.
Allen and Evelyn were able to live their dream of running a successful farm, living in the countryside and having family gather around them for special times throughout the year. Now, through a charitable gift annuity, they are able to achieve their wish of helping children while also enjoying a secure income for the rest of their lives.
Learn more about Charitable Gift Annuities
Donor Advised Fund
Eleanor B. Sweet Fund - A Legacy of Thoughtfulness
Thoughtfulness was a way of life for Eleanor "Ellie" Sweet; she brought out the best in others and made them feel treasured, according to her long-time friend and self-described soul mate, Norm Jackson.
"She had something nice to say to everyone – even in the checkout at the grocery store," he said. "People would light up talking with her."
Although Ellie died in May of 2002, others continue to benefit from her thoughtfulness – especially the children of St. Jude – through the Eleanor B. Sweet Fund.
"Ellie was always interested in St. Jude and had given to the hospital for many years. We always knew she would care for the hospital in her estate," Norm said. After discussing her options with an attorney, Ellie decided to arrange for a donor advised fund (DAF) to be set up from her estate, through her local community foundation, with Norm as the trustee. "She liked the idea that the money she left would continue to grow and St. Jude and others could benefit every year, on into the future," he said.
DAFs are charitable giving vehicles administered by a third party, such as a community foundation or investment bank. The principal used to establish the fund is invested, and income from earnings fund grants to charities such as St. Jude.
"Ellie never had children of her own, but she always loved both children and animals, and their care was very important to her," Norm said. "She particularly liked St. Jude, and that the hospital didn't charge families (for what insurance does not cover) – she thought that was very important."
Ellie identified with families who might have difficulty paying medical bills because she had risen from humble roots. In 1953, she began working as a personal assistant for Stephen Briggs, co-founder of Briggs & Stratton and founder of Outboard Marine Corp. She was astute in finances, and handled Mr. Briggs' finances until his death in 1976.
Ellie lived in a comfortable home on the bay in Naples, Fla., while Norm had a successful construction business in Fort Lauderdale. The two briefly met in 1960, when he came to the city to help it rebuild after Hurricane Donna. Then, 15 years later he was again doing business in Naples when the two, now both divorced, began seeing one another.
"We fell in love, and she was the greatest thing that ever happened to me," he said. For the next 25 years, Norm drove the 105 miles between the two cities every weekend so they could be together.
"It was the way I renewed myself and recharged, both spiritually and mentally. She was brilliant and just delightful."
Norm said that Ellie "loved the stock market and everything about it, and did well with it," but lived a relatively simple life. "She had a beautiful little house right on the bay, and when I suggested places we could travel, she would just ask ‘what's better than this?'"
Norm said he misses Ellie greatly, but he takes comfort in knowing that the Eleanor B. Sweet Fund is carrying out her intentions to help others, just as she did in life.
Gifts of Appreciated Securities
A gift of stock for the kids of St. Jude - Mike Corboy
Mike Corboy knows a good business deal when he sees one. A long-time employee of Texas Instruments, leader of high-tech companies and innovator of several successful ventures, Mike has enjoyed an accomplished business career. He also is a loyal supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. His annual donations to St. Jude are made by giving the gift of stocks. “It’s just a great way to give money to worthy causes,” he said.
Mike and his wife Lou Ann became involved with St. Jude through their friend and neighbor, a St. Jude board member. After a visit to the St. Jude campus, Mike and Lou Ann began to include St. Jude in their regular philanthropic giving. "It’s unique to the world,” he said of St. Jude.
Now semi-retired and involved in inner-city education initiatives in Dallas, Mike finds that making gifts using long-held stock that has increased in value is a wonderful way to benefit the kids of St. Jude. “It’s a win-win situation. We help St. Jude, avoid the capital gains tax that we would owe if we had sold the stock ourselves, and receive an income tax deduction for the value of the full stock. It’s a simple and effective way to give a gift and, more importantly, make a difference to the kids at St. Jude.”
Learn more about giving Gifts of Appreciated Securities
Lifetime Gifts from a Retirement Account
Jeff Carlin - Dedicating his life to children
When Jeff Carlin looks at the photos of patients at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, he sees more than children.
"I see those faces, and I think of their parents and siblings and what they are going through," says the 70-year-old retiree from Blairsville, Ga., who with his wife, Janet, have chosen to leave St. Jude in their will.
Jeff empathizes with the parents of St. Jude patients because he was once in their shoes. His only child, Jefferson Daniel Carlin, was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma in 1969, shortly after his first birthday, and he and his first wife, Betsy, brought him to St. Jude for treatment. Although doctors did all they could to stop the malignant eye tumors, Jefferson Daniel died July 5, 1971. "It was a terrible time for us because of what he had to endure at such a young age; just like the children of St. Jude today. You just have such terrible anxiety, not only for your own child, but for the other patients as well.
"What helps level that out are the people who work there - from those who keep the place clean to the doctors and nurses . . . St. Jude is a place of peace and tranquility because of their care and compassion. If there is any place on earth that is like it is in heaven, it is St. Jude. It is simply a wonderful, wonderful place."
Jeff said he once met Danny Thomas and sensed the same level of compassion from him as he had received from St. Jude staff. "When I told him about my son, you could see the grief in his face," he says.
Betsy and Jeff later divorced, and in 1991, Jeff married Janet. In 1996, the couple moved from their home in Merritt Island, Fla., to Blairsville, following his retirement from RCA Motion Picture Lab, where he developed film for both the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and NASA at the Kennedy Space Center.
Remembering Son with Tribute Brick
This year Jeff and Janet are using money from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to fund a tribute brick in the South Meditation Gardens of St. Jude to commemorate Jefferson Daniel. To make the tribute, they are taking advantage of a provision in the Pension Protection Act of 2006 that allows individuals to make cash gifts from an IRA to a qualified charity, without owing tax on the withdrawal. The IRA provision is set to expire Dec. 31, 2007.
Although Jeff lost his own child, he continues to help raise other children as a foster parent. He says he felt "led by God to dedicate my life to children" after participating in a Walk To Emmaus religious retreat in 1998. Since that time the couple have opened their homes to 13 foster children. He also mentors children one hour a week at a local elementary school.
An avid motorcyclist and member of the Christian Motorcyclist Association, Jeff has participated in Poker Runs and other cycling fundraising events benefiting St. Jude. He also goes on mission trips through his church, both in Appalachia and in Mexico.
Making the decision to include St. Jude in his will was a natural outgrowth of his faith and his own family experiences. "I know what the hospital stands for," he says. "A family can come in the front door and not have five cents in their pocket, but they will receive the best care." Helping such families by giving to St. Jude "makes us forget about ourselves and think about others," he says. "That's what we're here to do."
Learn more about a Lifetime Gift from a Retirement Account
The Joy of Giving: Janice and Ellis Harrell
After a recent visit to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Ellis Harrell encouraged others to “Act now. Don’t wait to do something for St. Jude, do it now!” That enthusiasm for giving is nothing new to the Harrell’s. “I learned early on that you get out of something what you put into it.”
Ellis and his wife Janet have a big heart for children of St. Jude. They love to spend time traveling and playing cards, but most importantly they enjoy spending time with their big family: 7 children, 13 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren.
Ellis has built a very successful career as an entrepreneur from humble beginnings in North Carolina. After serving in the Army, he decided he didn’t want to work for anyone else. “I wanted to be my own boss, live my own life, “he said. That decision paired with hard work and never being afraid to take a chance, has led to their financial security and the possibility of early retirement; however Ellis says he couldn’t stop. “I had trained myself to work hard and to focus. I couldn’t slow down.”
The Harrell’s first discovered St. Jude through a television special and contacted the Hospital to get more information. That phone call allowed them to meet Boyd Spencer, the St. Jude representative in their area, and it started a wonderful friendship that is benefiting the children of St. Jude now and for years to come.
When asked about his decision to give to St. Jude, he responded, “You know having a little extra in life is an awesome responsibility, you have to do a little investigation and be confident that your money is going where it will do the most good. I worked hard to make the money I have made and I want to safeguard where it goes.” The confidence they have developed in St. Jude has inspired a generous cash gift now and also a specific bequest in their estate plans. When talking about his support of St. Jude, Ellis is quick to point out, “I daily give thanks for the blessings that have made this possible.”
Gifts from friends like Ellis and Janet Harrell allow St. Jude to continue to provide for patients and families in a way that no one else can. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatments that are not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. In addition, Janet points out, “I am impressed with the way they treat the whole family, not just the child.”
Learn more about a Lifetime Gift from a Retirement Account
Bequests
Vince Suppan - A passion for life and helping others
"I want to retire from retirement so I can have more free time," Vince Suppan jokes.
The 88-year-old Suppan's activities would quickly tire a man of any age. He serves on a number of committees in his community, at church and at West Chester University (Pa.), where he taught for many years. He still plays the clarinet and marches in the West Chester University Alumni Marching Band. And each week he travels approximately 100 miles to conduct the Catasauqua Band – a position he has held for 62 years.
Vince's many interests include magic (he's performed it since age 6), German (which he reads, writes and speaks) and all types of music, whether he's singing or playing the violin, clarinet or saxophone. But he's also devoted to helping others, including the children of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
A St. Jude donor for more than 25 years, Vince decided several years ago also to remember the hospital in his will. He and his late wife Jo never had children, although they have six godchildren, five whom are still living. "My estate is set up so that half of it will continue to draw income for the godchildren," he explained. "When the last one of them is gone, the remainder of my estate will be divided among six charities, including St. Jude."
Vince first visited the hospital for the Danny Thomas – St. Jude Society Donor Luncheon in 2005. "I was very impressed by what I saw. The entire place is a labor of love. It is wonderful to see how the patients are so welcomed and cared for regardless of their ability to pay."
Like many in his generation, Vince has a special affinity for families who otherwise would struggle to pay for their sick children's care if it were not for St. Jude and their generous donors. Growing up in the Great Depression helped shape his life. Although he'd played the violin since age 4, as a teenager he taught himself to play the clarinet so that he and his friends could entertain audiences between double features at the local movie theatre. "Our payment was being able to watch the movies for free," he said.
His dream was to become an aeronautical engineer, but finances required that he attend West Chester State Teachers College (now West Chester University), where he studied music. When World War II broke out, he enlisted in officer training school and fought in France and Germany. After retiring from the military, he returned to school and earned a master's degree in speech and theatre from Columbia University in 1953.
Although Vince's career included being a speech pathologist and teaching speech and English, his vocation has always been music and entertainment. In addition to conducting the Catasauqua Band, he played in a variety of dance bands until the late 1960s. He also continued performing magic shows until a year ago, because he particularly enjoys putting smiles on the faces of young children.
By including St. Jude in his estate plans, Vince will continue to help children smile for many years to come.
Learn more about Bequests
Evelyn Ballentine - "About Helping Others"
Having lived and worked in Memphis, Tenn., most of her life, Evelyn Ballentine has known about St. Jude Children's Research Hospital since it opened in 1962.
"But it is one thing to hear about a place and another thing to see it first-hand," said the former school librarian, who retired in 1994. Evelyn gained a first-hand perspective on what St. Jude means to children and families more than a decade ago, when a cousin's son was treated at St. Jude for aplastic anemia at age 8.
"My cousin explained to me how St. Jude cared for children whether they were rich or poor; with or without insurance, and that really impressed me," Evelyn recalled. "And then I went to visit the boy in the hospital and I was amazed by how much his vocabulary had grown. He could explain all his symptoms and treatments because the doctors and staff explained everything to him so he could understand. They never talked down to him."
Evelyn's young cousin fully recovered and currently is attending Morehouse School of Medicine, where he is working on a master's degree in Public Health. "I believe his interest in learning came in part from his experiences at St. Jude," she said. "St. Jude does so much more for children than just treat the illness."
Evelyn began giving regularly to St. Jude shortly after her youngest son died in 2003. "That is when it really hit me that tomorrow is not promised. I decided that I should be about helping others, and so I decided to give to St. Jude." Two years later, she decided to leave a legacy to St. Jude by including the hospital in her will.
She said watching a program about St. Jude on television caused her to take that step because "it helped me realize that St. Jude can continue only if people give." She discussed her decision with her only surviving child, a son, who supported her decision. She also has one granddaughter and one great grandchild.
Since becoming a member of the Danny Thomas – St. Jude Society, Evelyn has attended the annual society luncheon three times and toured the hospital twice. "I am amazed by how much the hospital had grown," she said. "It is such a beautiful place. Nothing has been spared for these kids – including having a school facility for patients."
Evelyn's other interests include teaching sewing to adults, helping with the health ministry at her church, volunteering at her local library and belonging to two different senior citizen groups.
"I encourage my friends in these groups to consider giving to St. Jude," she said. "I want them to see for themselves what I mean when I say that ‘St. Jude is all about the kids.' "
Learn more about Bequests
Jack Vosse - Supporting St. Jude A Family Tradition
Jack Vosse's support for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital began as a teen, before the hospital was ever built. After all, what 16-year-old boy in 1957 wouldn't have said yes when his father asked if he wanted to help pick up actress Jane Russell from the Memphis airport in a limo?
Owner of the Vosse & Bick advertising agency, Jack's father had been recruited by Danny Thomas to oversee public relations for a St. Jude benefit at Russwood Park, and transporting stars was part of his role.
"It was very exciting for me," Jack recalled. "A local dealership provided the limo and I got to ride in the back seat with Ms. Russell and another star. I remember Dad telling me I was lucky I didn't have my driver's license yet, or he would have been the one sitting in the back seat."
Jack also remembers attending the event and watching Danny perform with Lou Costello, taking on the classic role played by Bud Abbott in their signature routine, "Who's on First?"
While his father continued to help Danny with publicity for local fundraising events, Jack's involvement with St. Jude lessened. Shortly after graduating from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis), he joined the Air Force and served in the Philippines and Thailand during the Vietnam War. After retiring from the military as a lieutenant colonel in 1987, he and his wife, Lee, settled in Montgomery, Ala., where Jack joined a program management consulting company. He retired in 2006 and Lee passed away two years later.
"I gave to St. Jude from time to time because I always felt it was a special place, and my sister Nadine's involvement kept me in touch." he said. Owner of a dance studio, Nadine Vosse Smith held recitals for many years to benefit St. Jude, in memory of one of her students who had died of leukemia while a patient at St. Jude.
Jack recently decided to again volunteer for St. Jude, by helping with his local St. Jude telethon this year.
After making one of his regular donations to St. Jude recently, Jack received a mailing asking if he would consider leaving St. Jude in his will. "I wrote back that I had already decided to leave something to the hospital through a charitable trust," he said. His local St. Jude philanthropic advisor called to thank him, and invited him to a regional donor appreciation luncheon in Montgomery.
"It had never dawned on me before to tell St. Jude (about his bequest decision), but I am glad I did, and I would encourage others to do so," he said. Jack said he has enjoyed learning more about St. Jude from his personal St. Jude representative, and from attending the annual Danny Thomas – St. St. Jude Society luncheon in Memphis in April.
"Coming to the hospital has given me a better understanding about St. Jude," he said. "I'm looking forward to becoming more involved in the future."
Learn more about Bequests
Mary Alice Jeanmard – Ambassador for St. Jude
Mary Alice Jeanmard
Ambassador for St. Jude
Mary Alice Jeanmard would like everyone who gives to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to visit the campus.
She has toured the hospital several times, and particularly enjoys attending the annual Danny Thomas – St. Jude Society Donor Luncheon each spring. She has been a member of the Society since 2007, when she informed the hospital that she is including St. Jude in her will. She also attended the 2008 Pathway to Hope dedication ceremony after purchasing a tribute brick last year. She says she is always amazed by what she sees.
"It impresses me so much to see the improvements that have taken place since my last visit. Everybody should come see first-hand what they are helping achieve with their gifts."
Each time Mary Alice returns to St. Jude, she brings guests. Last year, two daughters and two grandsons, ages 23 and 26 came with her. "They were extremely impressed," she says. "I had always told them about what I saw, but they had to see the place for themselves to really understand what St. Jude means to children and their families."
Mary Alice says she regularly prayed to St. Jude throughout her life, and named her third child Michael Jude, so she has a special affinity for the hospital Danny Thomas named for the patron saint of lost causes. She and her late husband, Charlie, began giving to St. Jude when their children were young.
She also has an insight into how families cope with an ill child because her fifth and last child, Carl Anthony, was born with a rare bone disorder in 1962. He died suddenly of an unrelated condition when he was 44 years old, and Mary Alice says she continues to miss him very much.
"After the kids were on their own, Charlie and I decided that we wanted to do something more for St. Jude," she says. They became monthly donors through Partners In Hope, and they decided to leave St. Jude in their will. "We talked it over with the children and they were very supportive," she says.
The couple operated Jeanmard's Marine Electronics for many years. Mary Alice fondly recalled the full life she and Charlie had with their large family in her hometown of Lafayette, La. "We lived above the store, and my mother, father and aunt lived next door," she recalled. "It was wonderful having built-in babysitters." Although she cherishes those memories, she also enjoys her new home in the small town of Carencro, La., where she recently moved next door to her daughter and son-in-law. With four nearby children and six grandchildren, family remains at the center of her life – as does St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"I spread the word about St. Jude whenever I can," she said, adding that she's looking forward to introducing more of her family to the hospital in future visits.
Learn more about Bequests
Robert and Donna Worden Sharing Their Blessings
Robert Worden enjoys visiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital when he can, but it is doubtful any visit will be as memorable as his first. He walked in the front doors on February 4, 1962, the day the hospital was dedicated.
Eleven-year-old Robert and his parents had come to visit his aunts and cousins who lived across the street from the original hospital.
"I noticed a crowd of people and I wanted to see what was happening, so I asked my parents if I could go and they said yes," he said. "When I got there a nice man in a suit came over and asked me to go upstairs in the hospital and tell Mr. Thomas they were ready for him. I went up the stairs and knocked on the first door I came to and another nice man in a suit answered the door. I said, ‘they told me to tell Mr. Thomas that we're ready for him.' " The man thanked him and said he would give Mr. Thomas the message.
A little later, Robert watched Danny Thomas cut the ceremonial ribbon to open St. Jude. Many years later Leslie Davidson, an ALSAC Senior Philanthropic Advisor, presented Robert with a photograph of the historic day as a souvenir. He took one look at it and spied a boy peering over the shoulder of a policeman. "It was me; Leslie didn't even realize I was in the picture."
Many years would pass before Robert's second visit to St. Jude. He served in the military, graduated from the University of Tennessee Martin and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, married, got divorced, and eventually married Donna, his wife of 25 years. "Ministers don't make much money so there was never much left to give away," he recalled. But shortly after marrying Donna he had the opportunity to work as an operator for GAF (now ISP), a chemical plant, where he is now a supervisor. The couple lived modestly and were able to start saving money.
When his father died in 1999, Robert wanted to donate some of his inheritance as an expression of appreciation for all his father had done for him. He immediately thought of St. Jude. "Being there when it opened was one reason, and I also knew several children who had been patients there through my church work." Now he and Donna give part of any extra money they have to St. Jude throughout the year, and each spring donate a portion of their income tax refund.
As the couple's savings grew, they began to consider estate planning. They drew up their will, power of attorney, and living will.
"We've made sure some of our estate will go to my son, niece and nephew, but we also want to give part of it back to God because of what He has given us," Robert said. "I firmly believe that the Lord led Danny Thomas to build St. Jude, and he has led us to help carry on that legacy."
He said he encourages others to also talk with their families about including St. Jude in their estate plans. "We sing the praises of St. Jude because we have seen how everyone there is treated with respect, love and care."
The couple enjoys traveling to St. Jude from their home in Paducah, Ky., particularly for events such as the Danny Thomas – St. Jude Society Luncheon and the Stanford St. Jude Championship golf tournament.
"We love to listen to the progress and advancements from the people who make them happen . . . and to hear from patients and families about how they have been helped." He added that he wishes more people realized how quickly St. Jude shares breakthroughs with others.
"In giving to St. Jude, you are making a contribution that will affect so many people across the world, and possibly even benefit yourself in the future." "Everyone needs to visit St. Jude. I think often people are reluctant to visit because they think they will be depressed, but they will be uplifted by the hope, promise and joy that they will find there."
Learn more about a Bequest
A Missionary for St. Jude - Mary Wardrop
Dr. Mary Wardrop's bright blue eyes and trim build reflect her energy and enthusiasm for life. A retired mathematics professor and researcher, she has traveled widely, studied several languages, and loves to play golf, read and volunteer in her community of Pinehurst, N.C.
But of all her broad and varied interests, supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is at the top of her list.
"I'm almost like a missionary about St. Jude," says Mary, who often wears her St. Jude logo pin as a conversation starter and gives them as gifts to friends. "The more I learn about St. Jude, the more enthusiastic I become."
Mary has always known about St. Jude, because the Louisiana native earned her bachelor's degree from Southwestern (now Rhodes College) in Memphis in 1955 and taught at the school when Danny Thomas was founding the hospital. But it was her first visit to St. Jude after her retirement in 1990 that convinced her to leave a legacy to further its mission.
"Walking the halls the first time, I was so impressed with everything that was done for the patient, and with the fact that families don't pay for medical bills beyond what insurance covers," she recalls.
She and her late husband, Dr. Robert F. Wardrop, also a mathematics professor, established two Charitable Gift Annuities through St. Jude. She says she has been pleased with the payments provided by the annuities and the fact that they are partially non-taxable.
Mary decided to leave a significant part of her estate to St. Jude "because it was important to me that the money go to an institution that would have the greatest impact, and would help many children for years to come." Because the groundbreaking research at St. Jude is freely shared with medical centers all over the world, she knows her legacy will reach far beyond the hospital walls.
Those beliefs were reinforced by her second visit to the hospital in 2005, when she and a college roommate had the opportunity to talk with Gerard Zambetti, PhD, a researcher in St. Jude's Biochemistry department.
"I was fascinated with his work and his ability to explain it in terms my friend and I could understand," she says. She adds that she also enjoyed learning more about research taking place on campus when she attended the Scientific Symposium in 2007.
Mary appreciates the importance of research because it has been such a big part of her life. She published 40 professional papers during her career, which in addition to Rhodes included time at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, where both Mary and Robert taught. Avid golfers, they retired to Pinehurst in 1990 to enjoy the good life there.
Unfortunately, Robert died in December 2007 following a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. His passing came at the close of a very difficult year for Mary. She spent much it recovering from brain surgery to remove a benign tumor.
Mary reflects that although she has had her share of difficult times, her life has been "wonderful," and her 31-year marriage to Robert, the second marriage for both, was the highlight. "I was passionately in love with him, and we had a good life together traveling, sharing our work, and just enjoying life."
Mary has returned to the golf course, to her books, to her volunteer work at her church and at the used book store that supports the local library, and to her many other interests – including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"Just the other day a man stopped by the book store and asked about the St. Jude pin I was wearing," she says. "He told me he had had colon cancer, and was helped by treatment that had been developed at St. Jude." She says she likes knowing that her support helps make such progress possible.
"The thought that I am doing something that would help so many people is very rewarding."
Learn more about Bequests
Don Dillman
– Giving to Children is His Greatest Joy
Don Dillman believes his support of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital today probably stems from his time fighting in the Vietnam War nearly 40 years ago.
"I decided as long as I was over there, I wanted to help" in some way, he says. So he bought food with his extra money and distributed it to children in an orphanage once a month, with the help of an interpreter.
He really enjoyed the visits, so when he returned home he wanted to continue to help children. "But I couldn't afford to give or do anything," he says. Initially he painted helicopters for the federal government and later had his own produce and arcade businesses, and a security service. As complications from wounds sustained in combat worsened, he had to go to part-time work until he was classified as 100 percent disabled by the Veterans Administration a few years ago.
As a result, Don says he is again able to devote more time and resources to the thing which had always given him the most joy: helping children. "My mother had always liked Danny Thomas and what he did for the children, so that raised my awareness of St. Jude," he says.
As a result, Don began donating to St. Jude, and made the decision to include St. Jude in his will as the main beneficiary of his estate.
"I have no children, so I want whatever I have to go to the children (of St. Jude)," he says.
Don also is again able to experience the joy of "seeing kids' smiling faces when you give them something," just as he once did in Vietnam nearly four decades ago.
Over the past year he purchased approximately 500 coloring books and boxes of crayons, and in May he traveled the 1,000 miles from his home in Port Royal, Pa., to Memphis to deliver them to the children at St. Jude.
Although the long trip in a truck was very painful for him because of his disability, "When I walked in and saw the children, it took all my pain away. For them to go through what they do every day and not complain is amazing."
It wasn't Don's first visit to the hospital. The year before he brought car seats and strollers, and he has toured the hospital three times as part of recognition events for the Danny Thomas - St. Jude Society.
"You learn things on a tour you can't learn on television," Don says. "Listening to the researches, doctors and nurses amazes me . . . but nothing in the world can compare to seeing the children and how they act as if nothing is wrong. They light up my life."
Learn more about Bequests
Norma Fethler
Norma Fethler understands all too well what it is like to be a hospitalized child away from home.
That is the reason she and her husband, Bob, have chosen to leave their estate to charities helping sick children, including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Norma spent the first nine years of her life in a Chicago hospital 200 miles away from home and a nearby convalescent home, fighting tuberculosis in her hip bone. Her mother had suffered from tuberculosis in her lungs and had died from it in 1932, before effective treatment became available. Her father also died while Norma was hospitalized.
Shortly after the death of her father and when Norma no longer needed hospitalization, she went to live on a farm outside of Springfield, Ill., as a foster child of an older woman and two of her eight adult children. "I felt like Cinderella," she recalled. "I was expected to make beds and scrub floors, but I had no idea how because in the convalescent home everything had been done.",/
As a young adult she returned to Chicago where she met her first husband. They later moved to California and adopted a baby girl. "I experienced my childhood through her," Norma said. "I involved her in every kind of childhood activity and I was very proud of all her performances."
Tragically, Norma's husband of 25 years drowned on a family vacation in Mexico. Four years later she met Bob and the couple settled in the San Diego area before moving to Arizona in 1991. Tragedy hit once more in 2004, when her 36-year-old daughter chose to end her life.
Norma has learned to balance her difficult memories with activities that bring pleasure to her and to others. Living in a retirement community with a large assortment of activities, Norma keeps more than busy making all sorts of crafts, such as "Curious George" sock monkeys, flat bears, cloth story books and other toys, which she has donated to many different organizations benefiting children, including St. Jude.
Last summer Norma saw the television special "Partners in Hope," which she says inspired her because she could relate to the children in the film. "I thought what is $19 – we can do that – and that's what we are doing every month." She recalls being able to go to camp as a child because someone unknown to her had donated the expenses, and says the experience "is something I'll never forget."
Bob and Norma are pleased to be able to continue supporting St. Jude now, while also leaving a part of their estate to the hospital so that their life's work can continue to help children of the future have a better life.
As Norma says, "I've been there."
Learn more about Bequests
Celia Wilson –A lifetime of giving
Celia Wilson began supporting St. Jude in 1957, when Danny Thomas first began raising funds to build the hospital, and she has been giving ever since.
Celia gave in part because, like Danny, she knew what it was like to pray for help to Saint Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of lost causes. Her first husband had died unexpectedly in 1956, leaving her with six young children – three sons and three daughters.
"I often say that Saint Jude Thaddeus and I raised the children together," she said. "But I was very fortunate that they all were healthy. It hurt me so much to see little children suffering, so I wanted to help."
She gave to St. Jude even when money was very tight. "I always set aside at least a little for St. Jude. It just became part of my budget."
Celia started working for the federal Health, Education and Welfare Department, and at night earned her bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Accounting. She helped start girl's basketball and softball leagues at her daughters' school, and also coached, refereed and umpired games.
Now a grandmother of 11 and great-grandmother of 10, Celia continues to give to St. Jude. Recently, she decided to designate a percentage of her estate to the children of St. Jude. She discussed the matter with her children, who whole-heartedly supported her decision.
Last spring, accompanied by her daughters Nancy Spieth and Janice Ford, she fulfilled a long-time dream by attending the Danny Thomas – St. Jude Society luncheon in Memphis and touring the St. Jude campus.
She was amazed to see first-hand the expansion that has taken place since the hospital first opened – growth she helped make possible through a half-century of giving. "I honestly couldn't believe all that I saw being achieved," she said. "Seeing the children running around and having a good time was wonderful." Her legacy will help bring more progress on behalf of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases for many years to come.
Learn more about Bequests
Hazel Hren
– "It's in my heart to help the kids"
Hazel Hren's decision to leave a legacy to St. Jude comes from seeing the difference the hospital made in the life of one child approximately 20 years ago.
At that time, a little girl in Hazel's community of Hesperia, Mich., went to St. Jude for cancer treatment. The girl recovered, grew into a young woman, and continues to live in the area.
"I saw how well St. Jude treated that little girl, even though her family didn't have a lot of money," she says. "That is why I began sending (St. Jude) money regularly, and why I put St. Jude in my will."
Hazel has made her legacy gift for a specific amount. "It isn't a lot, but it is really in my heart to help the little kids," she says.
The mother of four children, 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, Hazel worked hard most of her life, as a farm wife who drove a tractor alongside her late husband, Harold, and later as a clerk in the local post office. Harold died in 1985.
Hazel once spent many hours at her hobby of knitting and crocheting, making 300 pairs of mittens every year for a program serving disadvantaged children as well as afghans and table cloths for friends and relatives. She had give to it up when she began losing her eyesight several years ago, and she has been blind for three years. However, that hasn't stopped the 84-year-old from living by herself and leading a full life, including being active in a vision support group, exercising and attending Council on Aging luncheons four days a week.
It also didn't stop her from coming to visit St. Jude last April for the Danny Thomas St. Jude Society luncheon. She took the 700-mile bus ride to her daughter's home in Knoxville Tenn., so her daughter could drive them to Memphis for the event.
She says she particularly enjoyed learning about the exhibits in the Danny Thomas/ALSAC Pavilion from her daughter, hearing about research and patient care from St. Jude staff, and talking with her personal St. Jude representative, with whom she has become friends.
"I had always regretted not coming St. Jude when I could see, so I decided to come anyway" she says "I'm very glad I went."
Learn more about Bequests
Larry and Nancy Travis
– Dedicated to helping children
When Larry and Nancy Travis were making out their will a few years ago, they simply followed their heart - giving to their family, their church and to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"It just made sense to include St. Jude," Larry says, "because of our dedication to children."
The couple, from Rockford, Mich., have supported St. Jude ever since they watched a telethon 21 years ago. "Nancy cried her eyes out, and we've been giving ever since," Larry says.
The couple's dedication to helping children is evident in all they do. Larry volunteers as director of a children's program for 4-year-olds through third graders at his church, teaches Sunday school and is director of a one-week children's camp on Lake Michigan.
Larry works as a Sample Room Supervisor in Catalog Production for Amway, the only company he has worked for since they hired him 33 years ago, at the age of 19. Nancy once ran her own home cleaning business, but now does it on a part-time basis to pursue other interests. The couple have a daughter, Terry, and a grandson, Muris, Jr.
Larry and Nancy visited St. Jude for the first time during the Danny Thomas - St. Jude Society recognition luncheon in April. "It was a nice surprise to see how few beds there were for a big hospital, since most patients can be treated on an out-patient basis and lead a more-normal life," he says. "The atmosphere was a pleasant surprise, too. It is a happy place, where you might not think it would be."
He adds he was impressed in learning about the Good Manufacturing Processes Facility on the St. Jude campus, where research and development take place on potential drugs for treating pediatric cancer and other childhood illnesses - drugs that would not provide enough financial return to be pursued by pharmaceutical companies.
"I'm so glad that St. Jude is able to do that," he says. "After all, what's a life worth? Maybe to a company it just a bottom line, but not to me and Nancy."
He adds that for donors wanting to make a difference, St. Jude is an exceptional choice. "My message to others would be if you're thinking of giving money, you couldn't find a better place for what it will accomplish. We're a results-driven society, and if you look at the results St. Jude has been able to accomplish, it has been phenomenal. We are pleased to be part of making the progress possible."
Learn more about Bequests
Bill Roach
Sharing His Passion for St. Jude
Bill Roach's introduction to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® came, oddly enough, through a boat race.
As regional vice president for MICG Wealth Management in Norfolk, Va., Bill is encouraged to volunteer part-time for charities. He had been researching charities several years ago when an acquaintance asked him to help with a local regatta in support of St. Jude.
"I said yes, and the more research I did about St. Jude, the more I discovered that the hospital was something I wanted to support," he recalled. He became involved in a growing number of regional events supporting the hospital and soon was elected to the St. Jude Regional Board of Directors for Hampton Roads. Now he is the board's president, serving in a two-year term that runs through 2009.
Bill has no children of his own and has never had a friend or relative who has needed St. Jude, but he said "I became a disciple for life after my first visit to the hospital."
What surprised him most was "how much St. Jude doesn't feel like a hospital. It has a secret ingredient for hope that is hard to articulate, but you feel it when you walk in the doors. There is so much that takes place there that enables a child to be a child instead of living only as a patient."
He says that he strongly supports what St. Jude is doing in research, "but what means the most to me is that the hospital takes on patients regardless of their race, background or ability to pay. Having grown up in a small southern town, that really speaks to me."
Describing himself as "a country boy at heart," he feels his roots in the little town of Surry, Va., give him "a good appreciation of what people have to offer and the value of relationships." He tries to use those gifts both in his profession and in his volunteer work on behalf of St. Jude.
"My predecessors on the board have done a phenomenal job spreading the St. Jude brand in the Hampton Roads community, and I'm proud to continue their work and represent the 35 individuals on the board," he said. His goal as president is to further educate area residents about St. Jude, and to increase both the number of Partner In Hope donors and members of the Danny Thomas – St. Jude Society in the region.
Bill became a member of the society when he made the decision to leave St. Jude in his will several years ago.
"Through my work, I understand the importance of succession planning, to assure your wealth legacy can continue working for things you really care about," he says.
"Many people don't understand all their planned giving options, and how some, like charitable gift annuities, are truly win-win situations because they provide income to them while also providing a generous gift toward the work of St. Jude."
"St. Jude means so much to me, and I want to ensure its support in the future, both personally and by encouraging others to share the care and passion that is St. Jude."
Learn more about Bequests
Giving from Experience - Harold and Linda McMurtry
"I dont think anybody can realize what a wonderful place St. Jude is until they are in the position of needing its careon" says Linda McMurtry.
She and her husband, Harold (Mac) McMurtry, have experienced that care for patients and their families first-hand, which is why they have chosen to include St. Jude in their will.
Their grandson, Jason Hewitt, was 19 years old in 2000 when an injury sent him to the emergency room for an X-ray of his arm. But instead of a broken bone, doctors found a tumor, which was initially diagnosed as a type of Ewing sarcoma, the second most common form of pediatric bone cancer. He was sent to a leading area hospital, but a friend of the family urged him to try St. Jude because she had once worked there. A local doctor made the referral.
When St. Jude completed the biopsy of the tumor, doctors found Jason actually had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). He was given the choice of returning to a hospital closer to his home or remaining at St. Jude for treatment. He chose St. Jude.
"It was the best decision he madeor" says Mac. "The staff at St. Jude was so friendly and nice to him." Their grandson had recently moved out on his own and was working as a roofer. He did not have insurance, but that didnt matter at St. Jude, because families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance, and patients without insurance are never asked to pay.
Unfortunately, treatments available could not save Jason, and he died in October 2002. But Mac and Linda knew he had received the best possible care. "From the very beginning it was as though he was the only patient they were treating that day," Linda says. "The staff was like family to us, and we made many friends."
Mac and Linda have chosen to leave a specific amount of their estate to St. Jude as a legacy to help extend that exceptional care to children in the future, regardless of their ability to pay.
The Tennessee couple both retired in 1999 - Linda after 20 years as a registered nurse in long-term care, and Mac after 26 years with DuPont Company. He enjoys woodworking while she enjoys reading. Both love to travel, and since their retirement have visited Alaska, Hawaii, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, among other places.
In April, they also made their way back to Memphis to visit St. Jude as members of the Danny Thomas - St. Jude Society. It was the first time they had returned to the hospital since caring for their grandson. Neither were surprised by what they found.
"I have never been to a hospital where everyone is so interested in the patient and where the families were provided for with such care," Mac says. Linda adds, "It is hard to put into words how wonderfully the families are treated at St. Jude."
Learn more about Bequests
The parents are in their prayers - Jeanette and Jim Whitmore, Sr.
Jeanette and Jim Whitmore, Sr. will do whatever they can to prevent others from experiencing the loss of a child. That is one reason they have included St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital® in their will.
"I know what it is like to lose a child," explains Jeanette. "When I see those parents sitting in the St. Jude waiting room with their children, I know what they're going through. Believe me, they are in my prayers. . ."
Jeanette's 10-year-old grandson, Jamey, (who also was Jim's great nephew), died of cystic fibrosis in 1983. Tragedy occurred again 10 years later, when her daughter, Tina, and granddaughter, Jennifer, were killed in a car accident.
Those memories give meaning to the couple's support of St. Jude. "I am just happy that I am able to do a little something that may help someone else from going through that loss," Jeanette says.
Both Jim and Jeanette also lost their spouses from their first marriages more than 20 years ago. The couple, who had been close friends for many years and whose children had grown up together, married in 1990. Each has three living children, and Jeanette's children in turn have eight children, who consider both Jim and Jeanette as their grandparents. The couple's interest in St. Jude was sparked by a magazine article Jim read 10 years ago. He recalls showing Jeanette the story and telling her "we love children and care about their health and well-being. Lots of families cannot afford to help, but we can."
A short time later Jim's nephew, a church youth director, gave him a call. He asked if Jim and Jeanette wanted to accompany him and his youth group on a trip to Memphis, to visit a friend who was a St. Jude patient.
"I was even more encouraged and wanted to help after that visit," he recalls.
Jim and Jeanette have remained faithful supporters ever since and have chosen to leave a percentage of their estate to St. Jude.
"If there is money left when we are gone, we want to make sure some of it goes to St. Jude," says Jim, a home building contractor for 29 years. He retired in 1995 but currently uses his experience to oversee renovation projects at Freewill Baptist Church, where he and Jeanette are active members.
Jeanette also retired in 1995, after 23 years of working as a guard in a women's prison. With Jim, she tends the large garden and orchard on their 35-acre "farm," which Jim has fondly named "The Rockin J Mini Ranch." They grow wheat, clover and alfalfa to nourish the deer, wild turkey, red fox and other wildlife the couple enjoy watching daily. They also love "discovering America" through travel, having visited 43 states so far. Their trips have included several visits to St. Jude, most recently in April for a tribute luncheon for members of the Danny Thomas - St. Jude Society.
"If you want to get a good, clear picture of St. Jude, go and visit," Jim says. "That will tell you right to your heart - right to your soul - how much the staff cares for the children.
"These little kids can't help why they are there, and we don't know why it happened to them - but we can help."
Learn more about Bequests
Santa Brings Presents, Leaves Legacy To Children of St. Jude
The children of St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital® can't tell you who Kathy and Alan (Al) Westrich are, but they do know Santa and his wife. Don't tell anyone, but they are one in the same.
For the past three years, Al, the retired postmaster of St. Clair, Mo, has portrayed Santa for the children at the Memphis Grizzlies House, a short-term-stay housing facility for St. Jude patients. Last year Kathy, who owns Haire Works beauty salon, joined him as Mrs. Claus, and they also visited the Intensive Care Unit. They brought toys gathered from friends and other donors, including Charles Butler with F&M Bank in St. Clair, the St. Louis Cardinals and Rawlings Sporting Goods.®
"It was a wonderful experience," he says. "It's such a pleasure to see those kids happy."
The Westrichs, married for 26 years, know the joy of children -- together they have seven, along with 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, with a fourth on the way. But Alans support of St. Jude also comes from knowing the pain of losing a child. His son, Kurt, died of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) more than 40 years ago.
"He was an excellent baseball player," Alan recalls. "He was diagnosed in 1962, the same year Danny Thomas opened St. Jude. He died three years later, when he was almost 13."
Partners In Hope for 17 years, Alan and Kathy are very pleased that the survival rate for ALL has risen to 94 percent, as a result of St. Jude research. To ensure that breakthroughs can continue to be made in treating ALL and other catastrophic childhood illnesses, the Westrichs also have chosen to include St. Jude in their will.
"What could be better than to provide something that will grow and help childrens health in the future?" Alan explains. "St. Jude has made so much progress already, and they are just getting started . . . there are so many important illnesses they are working on."
In addition to specifying that a certain amount of money from their estate will go to St. Jude, the couple also has made St. Jude the beneficiary of bonds Al purchased for the building campaign of the local Elks Lodge, where he was an Exalted Ruler several years ago. Along with being active in the Elks, Alan, along with Kathy, sing in their church choir and a community choir, and enjoy golf, fishing, gardening and Cardinals baseball. Kathy loves to do needlework.
They also like to visit St. Jude, having taken several tours in addition to their Santa stops.
"I think people who haven't been there may not realize that it is such an uplifting place to be because the people are so positive," says Kathy. "There is an attitude of yes, we can do this!"
For Al, its important that "the amount of money a patients family has doesnt matter" and patients are not asked to pay what insurance does not cover. "I came from poor surroundings, and I really appreciate that," he says.
He adds that he is impressed by the former patients who now work at ALSAC and St. Jude. During their last visit they met Lindsey Wilkerson, who was treated for ALL at St. Jude from 1991-1994 and is now an Event Liaison Assistant. "She gave Al the biggest hug and said Thank you for saving my life," Kathy says.
"She said it was your support that helped make it possible," Al recalls. "It really got to me."
Learn more about Bequests
Supporting their St. Jude children - Rose and Larry Steurer
Rose Steurer remembers the day "many years ago" when she and her husband, Larry, began supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"Larry had been watching TV in the other room, and he came in and said, 'Guess what I just did? St. Jude needs our help so I signed us up!' "
They have remained Partners In Hope ever since and love hearing about the children they help through the mail they receive from St. Jude.
"We put their pictures in a photo album that holds two on each page, and it is almost full. Larry likes to say, 'I have all of my children,'" Rose says, adding that she also keeps all the Christmas cards she receives from St. Jude. "I always write to the children like we are asked. And I always write that I pray for them."
Although the couple never had children of their own, they care deeply for children and "want St. Jude to continue with the wonderful job it is doing to help them." That is why, in addition to being Partners In Hope, Larry and Rose are leaving a legacy to St. Jude, as a beneficiary of their revocable trust.
"We want it to help the children," she explains. "We're not rich, but Larry says that what he gives, God gives back three times."
Both she and Larry worked in data processing - he with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for more than 37 years. Rose also worked at Goodyear early in their marriage, and then at Akron University for a few years before leaving to become a full-time homemaker. Larry retired about 10 years ago.
Rose feels a special empathy for St. Jude patients, because she is a two-time cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor in December 1999, and then with breast cancer in April 2000. After two operations and 10 rounds of chemotherapy, she is doing well today.
"I take it a day at a time, and if God gives me another day, I take it. But I never forget it, and neither will these children," she says.
She adds that both she and Larry "savor each day as a gift," which they spend in activities they enjoy - usually for the benefit of others. Larry volunteers at local hospitals each Monday and Friday and at the local food bank every Wednesday. Tuesday and Thursday he reserves for golf. Crocheting afghans - and giving them all away -- is Rose's favorite past-time.
Rose and Larry were pleased to be able to see first-hand what their generosity is making possible for the children of St. Jude, when they traveled to Memphis from their home in Akron, Ohio, for the Danny Thomas - St. Jude Society Appreciation Luncheon in April.
"The tour was wonderful," she says. "It was good to see all the different things children could do to put their minds on other things beside their illnesses. . . it was great to see that the kids could laugh and have fun. . . they had a smile for you. It just gets to your heart."
She adds, "The wonderful thing about St. Jude is that they don't care that some families have money and some do not. It doesn't matter what color a child is; it doesn't matter what nationality a child is; it doesn't matter what religion a child is -- they will help them. It's just beautiful."
Learn more about Bequests
