Priscilla Manning is an avid card player, joining her friends for euchre as often as four times a week. It’s one way she stays positive, while learning to live with the disease Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).  “You have to play the cards you’ve been dealt with in life,” she says.

PSP is a very rare and debilitating disease that is sometimes referred to as Parkinson’s “Plus.” Those afflicted suffer gradual brain cell loss that slows movement and affects normal functions such as walking, balance, swallowing, and speaking. Although it is a condition like Parkinson’s, PSP affects other parts of the brain as well, and doesn’t respond very well to Parkinson’s medications. To help better understand and treat this disease, Priscilla and her husband Terry are bequeathing a significant portion of their estate to London Health Sciences Centre to fund research.

Priscilla, who lives in Guelph, began having problems with her balance four years ago after undergoing lower back surgery. At first her problems were believed to be associated with her surgery, but she was eventually diagnosed with PSP by Dr. Mandar Jog, Director of the Movement Disorders Program at London Health Sciences Centre.

Because they’re so rare, PSP and similar diseases attract little research funding.  This is one reason the Mannings decided to make a bequest and direct it to research. “Priscilla felt very strongly that we needed to do something,” says Terry. “Our hope is that these funds will help increase research and capabilities in these areas.”

Priscilla and Terry believe that Dr. Jog’s outstanding research program is the best place to maximize the potential of their gift. Terry, who recently retired as the Director of Elanco Animal Health, a Division of Eli Lilly, knows from first hand experience how research funding works. “Sometimes a small amount of money can leverage larger amounts from government and corporations, and lead to very worthwhile outcomes,” he says.

Dr. Jog agrees that bequests such as this have the potential to attract further funds. His internationally renowned Program conducts research on many fronts, from basic science to clinical trials. “Our bottom line is to come up with therapeutic interventions that benefit people’s quality of life,” he says. “This kind of bequest allows us to get to the cutting edge of technology and science.”

Priscilla and Terry are grateful for the expertise of London Health Sciences Foundation in helping them structure a planned gift that balances their philanthropic goals with their family needs. They have two children, a daughter in Ottawa, and a son in Edmonton, and three grandchildren. “The people in the Foundation have been marvelous to deal with,” says Terry.