“I wanted to give something back, for being grateful for what I’ve been blessed with,” says Housdorff. “And I didn’t want to just do $100 every paycheck. I wanted it to be significant, and I’m doing it in my dad’s name.”
Housdorff learned about groundbreaking research being done at the University of Alberta that may one day reverse memory loss in people living
with Alzheimer’s. She knew she wanted her gift to support that research, so other families may get the chance to have more time with their loved ones.
Housdorff’s gift in her will is also a nod to the doctors who helped her through her own health scare. In 2013, doctors found a benign tumour growing on her pituitary gland. Housdorff has undergone two neuro surgeries and a noninvasive Gamma Knife radiosurgery to remove and prevent the tumour from growing.
“If what I’m doing can make a difference for even just a few people, then that’s significant,” says Housdorff. “And that makes me feel even better. That’s not why I’m doing it, but I’m happy to tell people what I’m doing because I’m proud of who I am and I’m proud of my dad.”
A “legacy gift,” sometimes known as a “planned gift,” is a donation of money or portion of an estate given to a charitable organization through a will. These gifts are a meaningful way to leave the world a better place. To learn more about how you can leave a gift in your will, please reach out to legacygifts@givetouhf.ca.