Donor Stories

As an 83-year-old mother and grandmother, I know how precious every moment is with the people you love. Yet for years, I have struggled with chronic pain, fatigue, and sleeplessness. While these challenges are not yet debilitating, they have stolen many experiences I dreamed of having—from traveling to explore more of this amazing planet to playing with my grandson, and walking my dog in the park. I want my grandson to remember his Nana, who played with him, walked to the ocean, and participated in things he loved, not the Nana who was always tired and sitting down before we reached our destination.

Quality of life should be the goal of our medical professionals when treating patients, no matter their age. But I realize that the ailments that affect aging bodies are different, surprising, and sometimes difficult to identify and treat.

I also recognize that the health care insurance industry is more geared to treating the broken leg, rather than the loss of bone health; to pay for a diagnosed ailment in stage 3 or 4, rather than paying for periodic checkups to identify them in stage 1. I desire to age with vitality, and I just want more life in the years I have left.

I support the Longevity Science Foundation because its mission gives me hope, not just for myself, but for everyone entering later stages of life. The Foundation is one of the few organizations dedicated to shifting the focus toward prevention, personalized approaches, and improving the quality of life for the elderly. By funding research into the challenges of aging, by educating younger generations, and by advocating for change in how our systems approach health, the LSF is working to ensure that the years we have and years we gain are years we can truly enjoy.

I may not see every breakthrough in my lifetime, but I believe the Foundation’s work can help my children, my grandson, and millions of others live healthier, fuller lives. If governments, communities, and health systems begin to listen, the LSF could truly be a beacon for our aging population. I am proud to contribute to this work because supporting the Longevity Science Foundation means supporting real change for my generation and for those to come.

Healthcare and health advocacy have become extremely important to me, and the Longevity Science Foundation has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge of something not talked about enough: aging in a healthy manner. As someone who experienced a cancer diagnosis 15 years ago, it is my goal to do all I can to focus on the opportunity to incorporate the LSF's knowledge of healthy living and aging into my own life and fund more research in the space.

Many of the goals and mission of LSF–making longevity care and treatment accessible to everyone–give me a curated roadmap for incorporating key principles of care. A major advantage has also been the ability to follow the vetted and relevant research and projects that the LSF funds and educates about. Changing my diet and physical exercise are not the only means; true longevity is holistic.

I support the LSF not only to be informed about longevity science and learn to increase my personal healthy longevity, but also to assist in their efforts to fund significant developments that can save and change lives. As a donor and ambassador of LSF, I encourage everyone I know to become informed of this critical scientific research essential to adding years to our lives and life to our years.