January 15, 2017
Springfield couple reflects their values with a legacy gift to Baystate Children’s Hospital
The Piepul Family and Baystate Medical Center go way back—almost sixty years. Jan was born down the street. Bernadette served as a surgical nurse for 36 years, working in the operating room, post-operative care, and then as manager of general surgery until her retirement earlier this year.
With retirement, the Piepuls decided to update their estate plan and think about their priorities. In the process, they found a way to sustain their generosity for lifetimes to come – by including a gift in their estate plan to Baystate Children’s Hospital.
Because of their deep connection to Baystate and satisfaction as annual donors, Bernadette and Jan found that including a gift in their estate was a natural decision. “I was proud to devote my nursing career to Baystate’s patients, and we are proud to sustain that care through our bequest.”
Bernadette and Jan feel a shared mission with the Baystate Children’s Hospital care providers who devote their lives to helping young patients. “You see the impact of philanthropy everywhere at Baystate Children’s Hospital – from life-saving equipment to all of the clinical and Child Life services provided throughout the hospital,” says Bernadette. “And, you feel the commitment of the nurses and other staff members. They love their jobs and they love their patients. We love the idea of supporting all that they do with an estate gift.”
The Piepuls are also proud to join the Baystate Health Foundation Legacy Circle, a like-minded group of individuals who have included Baystate in their long-term plans to ensure a bright future for quality, local healthcare. “We’re so happy that our estate will be helping the children of our community long after we’re gone, in ways that we can’t even imagine today,” says Jan. “Tomorrow there will be new, life-saving technologies transforming the care provided by a new generation of health care professionals. And we’ll be part of it through our legacy.”