Schuyler and Susie Bailey included a gift to Glaucoma Research Foundation in their estate plan to give greater hope to patients and help end glaucoma.
In 1970, Susie and Schuyler Bailey’s son Peter was diagnosed with a rare type of glaucoma by Dr. Robert Shaffer, one of the founders of Glaucoma Research Foundation. Peter was only 3 months old. At the time, Schuyler recalls, Dr. Shaffer said preserving sight in an eye like Peter’s for the next 50 years would be a miracle. The Baileys were understandably crushed. “When something like that happens, you can’t find the right words,” Schuyler says. “‘Devastated’ is the closest.”
It was families like the Baileys who inspired our three founders to create an organization that would give greater hope to patients for better treatments—and ultimately an end to glaucoma.
“When Drs. Robert Shaffer, John Hetherington and H. Dunbar Hoskins founded Glaucoma Research Foundation, we, of course, wanted to be a part of it,” Susie adds. As a result of their dedication, the Baileys have been faithful annual donors ever since and have also included Glaucoma Research Foundation in their estate plan.
Peter is 46 now, with a degree in history from Stanford University. He lost sight in one eye the summer before college and has limited vision in the other.
Our innovative research programs, such as the multiyear collaborative Catalyst for a Cure Biomarker Initiative, continue to inspire the Baileys and give them hope for a cure.
“The research is vital and we are very excited about the progress and dedication of the Catalyst for a Cure team,” Susie says.
“They have a bold vision to look at glaucoma differently. Our support of their work is very meaningful to us. We want to help conquer glaucoma,” Schuyler adds.
Nancy Graydon, executive director of development, notes that through their estate, the Baileys will support Glaucoma Research Foundation and provide for their family. “It is not all or nothing,” Nancy says. “Donors can include a specific dollar amount or percentage of their estate to support our mission and also ensure their loved ones are taken care of.”
Leave a Lasting Legacy
Contact Nancy Graydon at ngraydon@glaucoma.org or 415-986-3162 ext. 231 to learn how you can leave a lasting legacy at Glaucoma Research Foundation like Susie and Schuyler.