FAITHFUL VOLUNTEER MAKES GENEROUS BEQUEST

Helen and Fred Lettice met in the 1970s when Helen took a job at the same company at which Fred worked. When Helen learned that Fred's wife had passed away, she called him to extend her condolences. Soon thereafter, Fred asked her to have dinner at his home. Fred's daughter took an immediate liking to Helen and encouraged him to spend more time with her. While on a Mediterranean cruise together, Fred bought a ring and proposed marriage to Helen on the island of Rhodes. They continued to travel the world and were happily married for 13 years. Helen says, "Fred was the love of my life! He was smart, handsome, and had a wonderful sense of humor."

Fred fell ill in the mid-1980s and became a frequent patient at St. Jude. He often needed medical help in the middle of the night, and the nurses and physicians at St. Jude were always there for him. Everyone recognized Fred, so when he arrived at the emergency room he would say, "I'll find my own bed..." and Helen took care of checking him in.

"I am so grateful that everything was always just perfect in the way he was treated by all the nurses and doctors at St. Jude," says Helen, "The complete care was excellent, and we really got to know all the wonderful, caring staff."

When Fred passed away in late 1990, a friend who was a member of the St. Jude Guild asked Helen, "Have you considered joining the Guild?" She really didn't know anything about the Guild, so she agreed to join an orientation group in January of 1991 because of the excellent care her husband had received at St. Jude. Over the past 21 years, Helen has continued to be a faithful volunteer, logging over 7,500 hours of service. "There is only one other person from my group who is still volunteering today," observes Helen.

One of the first people Helen Lettice met at the Guild was the then President of the Guild, Carris Wertzberger. Carris took Helen under her wing, and asked Helen to assist her in the hospital gift shop. The two became close friends and even traveled extensively together for many years.

Helen was born in Germany. She met two other Guild members who were also born in Germany, and the three immediately clicked and have been best friends ever since. "These friendships have been among the greatest rewards received from volunteering at St. Jude."

"When it came time to make my estate plans, it was an easy decision to include St. Jude as a beneficiary - because of the wonderful care my husband received there. At first," Helen admits, "I was not inclined to let anyone know about my plans. To me, it was like bragging, and that's why I wanted to keep my intentions anonymous. But I realize now how important it is to the hospital to let others know about my plans in order to encourage other people - especially those in the Guild - to also consider making a bequest to St. Jude."

Helen declares, "I know bequests can be changed, but my commitment to St. Jude is etched in hard rock! And I will never quit the Guild, because I enjoy it so much."

It is important to note that making a bequest to a charity can include any portion of an individual's estate. A bequest of a specific dollar amount or a percentage of an estate goes a long way to support the future of St. Jude Medical Center.