Mark Hanneke: Why I Give to St. Louis Children's Hospital
I am a longtime member of the St. Louis Children's Hospital Legacy Society. As is likely the case with many donors, my decision to support St. Louis Children's Hospital came as the result of personal experiences.
More than 40 years ago, I received a diagnosis of stage IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. I underwent three years of conventional chemotherapy with limited success, and the disease began to get more aggressive. At that point - in 1987 - I decided to have an experimental bone marrow transplant at what is now Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Because of its affiliation with Washington University School of Medicine (WashU Medicine), the hospital was on the cutting edge, and I got the desired result after the transplant - I was cancer free.
I spent my career working with youth. I was a high school math teacher and swimming coach. I coached age group swimming in the summers throughout my career, even during my four years in the U.S. Air Force. My passion for swimming lessons and working with youth continued even beyond teaching; I ran a swim lesson business for 15 years after teacher retirement. Offering swim lessons turned out to be my lifetime avocation, and it was my anchor through all my health situations. Through swim lessons, I was able to make a positive impact in the lives of thousands of children.
My health and work history helped me develop a higher level of empathy for children at health risk. These lifetime experiences made St. Louis Children's Hospital, with its connection to WashU physicians, a major part of my philanthropy.
The reward I felt in supporting St. Louis Children's became even greater when three years ago, my 4-year-old great-niece was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). She received the finest care at St. Louis Children's Hospital, complete with the amazing empathy of the WashU Medicine physicians and entire medical staff. They provide care even beyond medical treatments to help the child, parents and siblings endure the battle. So many wondrous deeds happen on every floor at St. Louis Children's Hospital every day.
I am happy to say that my great-niece rang the bell - signifying the end of her cancer treatment - after 500 days and has been cancer-free for more than a year!
Philanthropy has long been important to me, and I have used my math savvy to maximize the impact of my giving. Over the years, I have established many charitable gift annuities to benefit St. Louis Children's Hospital. Charitable gift annuities are a great way to help St. Louis Children's strive even higher while you as the donor receive a tax deduction for the year of the donation, and a large portion of the income you receive back annually is tax-free. I feel that charitable gift annuities are a win-win for everyone. And now that I am 73 years old, I also support St. Louis Children's through Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) from my IRA. Giving in this way also allows me to enjoy significant tax benefits. And finally, I want my legacy to continue for decades, so I have chosen to name St. Louis Children's Hospital in my estate plan.
