March is Free Wills Month and in the coming weeks, we will be sharing the stories of people who have left a gift in their will to the University, and why they have chosen to do so.
Last year, Dorothy Ritchie visited our research facilities at Foresterhill to hear more about our world-leading research into rheumatoid arthritis. Here she tells us why she is so determined to help eradicate this crippling disease by leaving a gift in her will.
"My mother suffered gnawing pain in her swollen joints for years and at times was reduced to tears with her rheumatoid arthritis. As a retired nurse, she decided to leave her remains to medical science, in the hope that new medications or a cure could be found for this debilitating illness, and so that the medical profession could see how this illness affected the body. Having seen how it consumed and restricted her in everyday life, I wanted to continue her quest in helping the medical profession move forward with their research into this painful illness by leaving a gift in my will, so that someday this illness, and hopefully many other debilitating illnesses, could be eradicated.
"Having visited the Institute of Medical Sciences and meeting Professor Cosimo De Bari, his scientists and his students, I felt humbled and in awe of their knowledge, dedication, determination, and passion to find a cure for rheumatoid arthritis. This is a slow, painstaking and I am sure at times, a frustrating process of continual testing and examining, as they continue to push ahead with single-minded determination to find a cure and improve the quality of life for other sufferers of this and similar illnesses. Much of this research is funded by gifts in wills, and without these gifts, little progress would be made in medical research.
"That is why I am supporting their work to provide a better quality of life for those suffering continual gnawing pain, discomfort and poor mobility with a gift in my will."
If you are considering remembering the University in your will and would like to discuss your options, please contact Vanessa Holmes, Development Officer for Legacy Giving by email at vanessa.holmes@abdn.ac.uk or telephone +44(0)1224 274132.
