Future Gift Is a Win-Win

Larry and Ruth Neppl have not lived in the Ames area since graduating from Iowa State University in the mid-1960s. Despite living closer to other health care facilities, they have chosen Mary Greeley Medical Center and McFarland Clinic for their health care for more than 30 years.

In December 1985, the couple lived in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and made a trip to Ames for Ruth's routine checkup. During her visit, the doctor found a lump, and soon after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since her mastectomy and follow-up care, she has been cancer-free for the past 32 years.

Her oncologist and primary care physician is Dr. Larry Otteman. It was the personal touch he and other medical staff provided that kept Ruth traveling the 132 miles round-trip for regular checkups and support group meetings, even though she had four school-age children at home.

"The doctor and nurses provided an atmosphere of caring and expertise that is hard to put into words," Ruth says. "I often felt like I was their only patient. They took such good care of me!"

The Neppls have since moved to Marion, Iowa, and now travel 226 miles round-trip to Ames for Ruth's regular checkups with Dr. Otteman. In gratitude for the excellent care they received during a difficult time in their lives, the Neppls have designated a portion of their IRAs to the William R. Bliss Cancer Center—Cancer Resource Center and the Israel Family Hospice House.

"A future gift through our IRAs makes sense for us. It allows us to benefit the medical center and save our family from paying taxes on our assets," Larry says. "It's a win-win."

Say Thanks With Your Gift

If you would like to say thank you for the exceptional care you received at Mary Greeley Medical Center, contact Sarah Heineman at 515-239-2421 or heineman@mgmc.com to learn how.