Jackie and Roger Levy hope no family ever has to know the loss of a beloved child and grandchild. They lost their 3-year-old grandson, Andrew, who was treated at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford but unfortunately passed away from leukemia in 2016. Over the years, Jackie and Roger have given philanthropically to Packard Children’s in Andrew’s memory.
Most recently, the Levys decided to make a more lasting commitment by creating a charitable gift annuity (CGA) to support the Andrew M. Levy Music Therapy Endowment. Thanks to the founding gift from Andrew’s parents, Esther and Dan Levy, along with gifts from members of the Levy family and many others, the endowment has a current value of over $2.4 million and ensures that the music therapy program at Packard Children’s will provide comfort to children in perpetuity.
“Seeing a child in the hospital with cancer is unfathomable,” says Jackie, a retired schoolteacher and principal. “We just hope that our gift will provide some comfort and a little bit of diversion for what they have to endure. There’s boredom and a lot of pain connected with cancer treatment. Music therapy is just a wonderful thing.”
Andrew spent three months in isolation with his mom while undergoing chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant from his older brother, Wills. Andrew always loved music, so Esther played him songs on her iPad and helped him play small drums and ukuleles.
“They would sing and dance, to the degree he could dance in his little crib,” Jackie says. “Music really helped brighten his life and make the days less painful.”
So, it was an easy decision for Jackie and Roger to support and help grow the music therapy program with their CGA. Our hospital launched the music therapy program in 2017—with Esther and Dan’s founding gift. Today the program is flourishing with four music therapists who support patients during procedures, foster opportunities for self-expression, and help patients and families cope with hospitalization. Along with the music therapy program’s growth, demand from the kids and from doctors continues to climb.
Jackie and Roger were pleasantly surprised to learn how effortless it was to set up the CGA as well.
“The process was very well thought out and very complete,” says Roger, who was impressed by the Gift Planning team at the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health. “Everybody we dealt with was very responsive. It could not have been any easier.”
Now Jackie and Roger know that they will receive a fixed income stream for the rest of their lives, and the balance will support the Andrew M. Levy Music Therapy Endowment. “It just warms our heart to know that the money is being used for music therapy, and that it’s helping patients and families,” Jackie says.
To learn more about how we can assist you in achieving your charitable goals, reach out to the Gift Planning Team.