A Second Chance and a Lasting Legacy

When Kris Wells discovered several tiny bumps along her collarbone in 2008, she wasn’t concerned. Yes, she could roll them around with her fingertips, but she didn’t think much of it.

Still, at a primary care appointment, she asked her doctor about them. What followed was a bone marrow biopsy, which revealed no cancer in the bones. But after blood tests and an MRI, the diagnosis came in: Kris had follicular lymphoma, a blood cancer.

Kris was rightfully scared.

“Here I was, 63 years old and, I had thought, in fairly good health and happily retired after a career as a newspaper editor,” she recalled.

In the months that followed, Kris endured a range of chemotherapy drugs, resulting in hair loss, insomnia, restless legs and more. But after a few months of treatment, she had her last round of chemotherapy and a scan revealed no cancer.

Three years later, the cancer returned. At a routine appointment, Kris met with a doctor from Moffitt Cancer Center, who detected lumps in her neck, clavicle and abdomen. Then came another summer of chemotherapy, as well as a recommendation for a donor cell transplant—the only chance for a cure for her condition. That transplant ultimately came from Kris’s brother, Eric.

For much of 2011, Kris and her faithful sidekick, life partner Carolyn Clark, stayed close to Moffitt, including at Hope Lodge. Throughout all her care during the transplant process, Kris never lost trust in her teams of caregivers at Moffitt.

“You could say I bonded with many of them,” she said. “They were so helpful and comforting.”

A year after the transplant, those tiny bumps were long gone. Kris was officially in remission. Today, she continues to see Dr. Joseph Pidala, an oncologist at Moffitt, for blood tests and checkups every two or three months.

Since 2016, Kris has been a generous supporter of Moffitt. Most recently, she created a charitable gift annuity (CGA) using a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from her required minimum distribution (RMD)—the annual amount individuals must withdraw from their retirement accounts starting at age 73.

By creating a CGA, you agree to make a gift to Moffitt and we, in return, agree to pay you (and your spouse, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life. You may make a one-time election of up to $54,000 to fund a gift annuity. The balance is used to support cancer research, strengthening patient care and more.

So, what does that mean in practice? Like Kris, you can use your RMD to support a cause you care about, like advancing cancer care at Moffitt Cancer Center, while also enjoying potential tax benefits.

By making a gift through a QCD, you can satisfy all or part of your RMD without paying income tax on the amount. That means more of your gift goes directly to work helping patients.

It’s a smart giving vehicle for people who want to make a big impact, just like Kris.

“My gratitude to Moffitt will never end, I promise,” she said. “Living by that pledge, I donate to the Moffitt Foundation in the hope of helping others find the care they need.”

Like Kris, you, too, can make a difference in the lives of patients at Moffitt Cancer Center. Contact Michael Kennedy at 813-745-7992 or michael.kennedy@moffitt.org.