Sandra Pittman knew she wanted to leave her estate to Baylor University Medical Center, the North Texas flagship hospital for Baylor Scott and White Health. Her only question was to which department.
“I picked breast-cancer because I have lost so many family members to cancer in general and breast-cancer specifically. My sister survived, but others have not,” Sandra said.
Sandra has arranged a planned gift that will leave her estate to Baylor Scott and White Dallas Foundation for the creation of the Buhlig – Pittman Endowment for Breast Cancer Research at Baylor University Medical Center. Buhlig is Sandra’s maiden name, and she is including it to honor her father.
“My dad worked really hard to get what he had, so I don’t want his legacy spent frivolously”, Sandra said. “I want dad’s money to keep working, even beyond my lifetime.”
Sandra came to know and love Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) “in a roundabout, backward way” through her work as a home healthcare provider. When she took one of her clients to visit her doctors at BUMC, the way the nurses and other clinicians treated her client made an impact on Sandra. “I was very impressed with how they took care of her, no matter what the problem was and they always addressed any issues immediately. My client passed away at age 95, so that tells you how great the care was. She would not have been with us for nearly as long if not for the compassion and proactive care at BUMC.”
But it wasn’t just excellent care for her clients that caught her eye. “Even the way the nurses and staff treated me as her caregiver was phenomenal,” Sandra said.
Sandra worked for decades in accounting but transitioned into home healthcare when looking for a line of work that allowed her to give something back. She chose home health based on her personal experience when she had a long hospital stay at the age of 16.
“My mother came and sat with me in the hospital every day,” Sandra said. “It was such a comfort to have her with me. Now I like helping people who can’t do things for themselves anymore. It’s much more rewarding than making sure all the accounts balance.”
Sandra is now focused on maintaining her own health so she can take care of herself as she ages. She focuses on eating healthily and in her 70s, has found a new passion: working out at her local gym with a trainer, doing weight and resistance training five times a week!
Sandra’s gift will ensure that she can keep making a difference for others for generations to come.