What began with a modest gift to National Jewish Health has transformed into a significant annual donation intended to advance scientific research to help those living with emphysema.

Bruce Haston sent his first gift to National Jewish Health in 2002—a $25 donation in response to a flyer he received in the mail. His wife, Rocky, had been a patient at the hospital, and he was grateful for the care she received after being diagnosed with emphysema.

Blended Gifts

Bruce, an 85-year-old Cheyenne, Wyoming, resident, continued to give in $25 increments for the next decade before he and Rocky decided to fund a pair of $10,000 charitable gift annuities (CGAs) in 2012 and 2013.

CGAs provide support to the hospital while also giving fixed payments back to donors for the rest of their lives. Bruce receives income from both annuities today.

“My wife was crazy about National Jewish Health,” Bruce says, solemnly recalling Rocky passed away in 2014 from complications associated with her emphysema. “The care she received there was a blessing, and it prolonged her life. Everything they did gave her comfort in her last years, and it enabled me to take care of my wife at home. It also helped her avoid having to go to assisted living.”

The couple was married 60 years; they have three children, eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild on the way.

Expert Care

Immediately after Rocky was diagnosed with emphysema, a condition in which the patient has trouble expelling air from the lungs, Bruce knew he needed to bring Rocky to National Jewish Health. He was familiar with the hospital’s expertise, so he made an appointment. The couple then drove approximately 100 miles south, from Cheyenne to Denver, where the National Jewish Health main campus is located.

Rocky spent a week in the hospital’s program, meeting with physicians and physical and occupational therapists, undergoing a series of tests and receiving crucial patient education.

“I was able to attend classes with her,” Bruce explains. “After we spent the week, they sat us down and gave us recommendations about how she could live comfortably. That is where I learned how to take care of her.”

At that time, Bruce said Rocky was able to move around easily because she was in the early stages of the disease. Through the years, the couple diligently traveled to Denver every six months so Rocky could receive various procedures designed to help improve her quality of life.

“We made a trip out of it, eating out and going to various places around town,” Bruce remembers, an upbeat tone in his voice. “She received the best care anyone could possibly have.”

Learning About Emphysema Research

Two years after Rocky passed away, just shy of her 80th birthday, Bruce visited National Jewish Health again, meeting with doctors and taking tours through several hospital laboratories. There, he met Irina Petrache, MD, whose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) research was especially intriguing. Emphysema is categorized under the COPD disease umbrella.

Dr. Petrache serves as chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at National Jewish Health. She conducts a broad range of studies, with a focus on how COPD-injured lungs can be regenerated and repaired to stop the relentless progression of disease. After his visit, Bruce decided to begin giving annually in his wife’s memory to support Dr. Petrache’s research.

“She explained her approach and how she is trying to discover a way to rehabilitate emphysema patients and make these people whole again,” Bruce says. “That was the approach I wanted, and that’s why I started giving to her.”

Philanthropic Legacy Endures

Since his first $25 gift, Bruce has given more than $100,000 to the hospital, and he plans to continue his philanthropy. His annual gifts to Dr. Petrache—combined with his two CGAs—are a great example of blended giving, which has a greater impact on the hospital.

“I think National Jewish Health is one of the greatest hospitals there is,” he says. “I will always be grateful for the care they gave to Rocky, and I believe Dr. Petrache’s research really matters.”

As a thank you, Bruce said he will also be leaving a legacy gift to the hospital in his will.

“It makes me feel really good helping in every way I can,” Bruce expresses. “National Jewish Health is not only a helping hospital, but it’s also a research hospital trying to solve problems to difficult diseases like emphysema. That means a lot to me.”

Consider Partnering With Us

If you are interested in helping countless individuals and families—like Bruce’s—who visit National Jewish Health from around the world for their lung, heart and immune-related conditions, please consider contacting Gordon P. Smith, MBA, CFRE at smithgo@njhealth.org or 1.800.423.8891, Ext. 6549. He will be happy to explain in more detail how to structure current and future gifts so they can have a significant impact on our research and patient care. After all, there is no greater gift one can give than life and good health.