Thankful for the gift of life

From a very young age, Gary Pope has been a saver. "I don't have a lot of needs," he says. "If the TV works, the car starts and I have food, everything else is a plus."

Soon after turning 40, he started investing in an individual retirement account (IRA), which grew into a comfortable nest egg. Last year, when he was 70½, it occurred to him that he could fulfill his required minimum distribution with an IRA charitable rollover. "It's a nice way for me to take care of some causes that I care about," he says.

At 52, Gary learned he had polycystic kidney disease, an inherited disorder that causes numerous cysts to develop on the kidneys, reducing kidney function. Within four years, his kidneys began to fail. "The question was whether I could get a donor or if I was going to have to go on dialysis until a match was found," he recalls.

His wife, Linda, wanted to donate her kidney, but she wasn't a match. His sister, however, was a perfect match. "It's a huge commitment to be a donor," Linda says. "His sister is the most wonderful woman I've ever met—she's a hero."

In 2003, Gary became the 269th recipient of a kidney transplant at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. "It's a wonderful gift," Gary exclaims. "It's about the greatest gift you can give to somebody."

Because he is so grateful for the exceptional care he and his sister received from his nephrologist, William M. Bennett, M.D., and the Legacy Transplant Services team, Gary made a direct transfer from his IRA (tax-free) to the William M. Bennett Chair of Medicine Endowment to support kidney services at Legacy Good Samaritan.

"I've been real lucky," Gary says. Linda adds, "He now has more quality of life."

Whether you make your impact at Legacy Health today or after your lifetime, your gift matters. Please contact Joshua Goldstein, MBA (he/him) at 503-413-3501 or jigoldst@lhs.org to discuss your plans.