Year End Appeal

December 2012
Seasons Greetings,

Every Christmas, Gene and Elizabeth Roybal invite as many as 40 family members and friends to join them for dinner at the Arcadia home where they have lived for 34 years.

As their daughter and the oldest of their three children, I’m always one of those happy, well-fed guests. This year when we get together to give thanks for the blessings in our lives, we’ll have something special to celebrate: My 78-year-old father is doing extremely well after undergoing life-saving surgery at Methodist Hospital just a few months ago, on September 17.
Earlier this year, Dad started suffering from what he thought was severe heartburn. Medication prescribed by his primary care doctor didn’t help, so he was referred to a cardiologist.

“I didn’t think I could have a heart problem,” he later explained to me.

“I had been tested fairly recently, and I had passed with flying colors. Also, I always thought I had inherited good genes from my mother’s side of the family. She lived until she was 94.”

My father’s father died of cardiac disease at the age of 62. All three of his younger brothers suffered heart attacks in their fifties and needed open-heart surgery. Still, Dad was shocked when he learned that he had a life-threatening 99 percent blockage in one of his coronary arteries. He was admitted to Methodist Hospital immediately. At first, cardiac specialists at Methodist hoped that he could be treated with angioplasty and stenting, the least invasive technique available for
re-opening blocked blood vessels. But high-tech imaging of his heart showed that triple-bypass surgery would be necessary.

The operation went smoothly, and my father has made an excellent recovery. “Everyone at Methodist Hospital was wonderful to me,” he says. “I fell in love with the nurses because they were so nice. Any little thing I needed, they were right there to provide it. I had great doctors, too.” My family has another special reason to be grateful to the hospital at this time of year. During the holiday season of 2010, my life was saved at Methodist, too.”

I was the healthiest 43-year-old in California when I was suddenly stricken with a mysterious illness. I was bleeding to death, but nobody could figure out why. I needed repeated blood transfusions until a surgeon at Methodist finally gave me a diagnosis. I had a tumor behind one of my ovaries. He removed it, and now I’m doing fine.

I’m writing today to thank you for supporting Methodist Hospital on behalf of the many families like mine who have been touched by your generosity. I also ask you to continue your partnership in the hospital’s work by making a tax-deductible gift of $45, $55, $100, or even more this holiday season.

You and I have something important in common. We’re both supporters of Methodist Hospital. To show my gratitude for the excellent care my family has received, I make contributions to the hospital and serve as a volunteer for some of its most active fundraising groups. As Methodist Hospital donors, we play an instrumental role in enabling the hospital to keep its commitment to serve local families with the greatest compassion and medical excellence. This not-for-profit hospital relies on friends like you and me to help it keep pace with the latest clinical and technological advances and to attract the finest, most caring health professionals to its staff.

Charitable gifts make it possible for Methodist Hospital to provide high-quality care for the 500,000 San Gabriel Valley residents who turn to it every year at their times of most serious medical need. Donor support has been essential to all of the hospital’s most significant accomplishments, including its recognition as a STEMI receiving center for heart attack patients, a designated stroke receiving center and an Emergency Department Approved for Pediatrics. A tax-deductible donation to aid the life-saving programs of Methodist Hospital is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give your family, friends and neighbors this holiday season. It will make our community a healthier place for all of us to live. From my family to yours, I send heartfelt thanks and warm wishes for peace and joy in this time of good will and the best of health in the coming year.

Sincerely,
Julie Roybal

Partners in Health, Club 300 Member
P.S. Your tax-deductible gift will help Methodist Hospital continue to save the lives of many patients like my father and me.
I hope you’ll send it soon.

2012 Year-End Gift Deadlines

Hereafter are the deadlines and the procedures necessary in order to receive credit for 2012 in your financial documents.

Cash and/or checks

In Person – Must be delivered to the foundation office by 5 p.m. on Monday, 12/31/12.
Mail – All donations must be postmarked by Monday, 12/31/12.

Credit Card

Methodist Hospital accepts donations made on both Visa and/or MasterCard.
In Person – Must be delivered to the foundation office by 12 p.m. on Monday, 12/31/12.
Mail – Must be processed in the Foundation office by 12 p.m. Monday, 12/31/12. A 2012 postmarked envelope is not recognized as valid proof for tax deduction.

Tax credit is granted for the date that the transaction is processed.

Phone – Must be made by 12 p.m. on Monday, 12/31/12. Please contact the foundation office at 626-898‐8888.

Stock Transfer

Electronic – Transfer must be received into the foundation’s Merrill Lynch brokerage account by Monday,
12/31/12. Please allow ample time for your broker advisor to process your transfer request. Depending on
your broker relationship, this may take several days to process during the busy year‐end season.
In Person – Must be delivered to, and accepted by, the foundation office by 5 p.m. on Monday, 12/31/12.
Mail – Must be postmarked no later than Monday, 12/31/12.
Express Mail (i.e. FedEx, UPS, courier) – Must be received and accepted by the foundation office by 5 p.m. on Monday, 12/31/12.

NOTE: Paper stock certificates must be signed and have all required information completed correctly on its reverse side, or, have required information completed on a separate Stock/Bond Power and accepted by the foundation office no later than 5 Monday, 12/31/12. For your safety and security, it is recommended that any paper certificates mailed or delivered be executed for ownership transfer on a separate Stock/Bond Power and mailed in separate envelopes. Both certificate(s) and Power(s) must be received by the dates above to be credited as a 2012 gift. Please inform the foundation as soon as possible of your intention to transfer stock. We will be glad to work with the brokerages to assure a seamless transfer.
Prior arrangements to deliver a gift or to have it picked up may be coordinated by contacting the foundation office at 626-898‐8888.Prior arrangements to deliver a gift or to have it picked up may be coordinated by contacting the Foundation Office at 626-898-8888.

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