When "Thank You" Isn't Enough

ca 1999

After the symptoms have disappeared, the stitches removed, and the soreness forgotten, most former patients pay little attention to their physicians.

Right: Dean Allen Jacobs expresses gratitude for the Dell's contribution to the college.

Not for Walter and Phyllis Dell. They did not want to forget the DO who had helped them, so they decided to do something about it.

The Dell's involvement with osteopathic medicine began when Mrs. Dell was diagnosed with cancer. As serious as the diagnosis was, the Dells firmly believe that things could have been much worse without the efforts of Timothy McKenna, DO. Through perseverance and a devotion to quality care, Dr. McKenna's efforts paid off: Mrs. Dell's cancer went into remission, and she survived without having to suffer the debilitating effects of chemotherapy or radiation.

Grateful for Mrs. Dell's second chance and impressed with Dr. McKenna's approach to health care, the couple decided that a "thank you" wasn't enough. Instead, they would show their gratitude by supporting the profession which had done so much for them and which promised to help so many in the future. "We don't have any children," Mr. Dell explained, "and we wanted to do something for humanity."

Since Dr. McKenna had learned his skills at Michigan State's College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Dells decided to help the college continue its commitment to quality care. In 1996 they founded the Phyllis K. and Walter P. Dell Endowed Scholarship, a scholarship given annually to second or third year students enrolled in the Medical Scientist Training Program.

Left: 1999 Dell Scholarship Recipients: (right to left:) Jackie Dao, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Dell and Jennifer Ballew]

For the 1999-2000 academic year, two students were awarded the scholarship: Jennifer Ballew and Jackie Dao. As is fitting for a scholarship connected to surviving cancer, this year's recipients both work in MSUCOM's Carcinogenesis Laboratory under the supervision of Justin McCormick, Ph.D., and Veronica Maher, Ph.D.

For several years, the scholarship has helped talented students concentrate on their education and gain valuable research experience, and each year, the Dells' have had lunch with the recipients to learn more about their studies.

Impressed with the students and their work, and heartened by the impact of the scholarship, the Dells' decided that they wanted to help MSUCOM, its programs, and its students even more.

In 1999 Mr. and Mrs. Dell decided to include a bequest in their will on behalf of MSUCOM. The Dells will donate a portion of their assets to continue the endowed scholarship, but the remainder will be used as a research fund for both the College of Osteopathic Medicine and the College of Human Medicine. This new endowment, which will be administered by MSUCOM, will provide funding for basic and clinical research at the colleges.

Having seen first hand what the profession and its students can achieve, the Dells can be confident that their new commitment to research will help the physicians of tomorrow and their patients. MSUCOM, for its part, can be confident that the Dells have a very special way of saying "thank you."