By Luke Voogt
Belmont’s Nancy Jagger hopes her bequest to the Stroke Foundation will one day get lifesaving research over the line.
Nancy made the bequest after her sister-in-law Doreen suffered a stroke on the way to work in Horsham during 1994.
“Nothing can prepare you for the shock seeing a loved one in that way,” Nancy said.
The stroke paralysed Doreen on the right side of her body, and she remained in 24-hour care until she died five years ago.
“I don’t think anybody realises the impact a stroke has on a family until they experience it,” she said.
“You struggle to come to grips with it.”
Nancy donated a percentage of her estate to the Stroke Foundation in the hope it could fund regional care, education or prevention research.
“The stroke foundation doesn’t have the same prominence that other charities do,” she said.
“That’s why I got involved – I feel quite comfortable about leaving a legacy to them.”
The retiree encouraged Geelong locals to do the same after they had thought about their family in their will.
“I’m just making people aware that there are some very needy charities,” she said.
“It can be any amount. Decide on a charity and then actually approach them.”
Nancy’s mother was dying of cancer when Doreen had her stroke. Her father also died of cancer, which prompted her to volunteer at a Geelong community hospice.
Stroke Foundation’s Ross Anderson was grateful for “wonderful people” like Nancy leaving bequests.
“It funds a lot of our work,” he said.
A nation-wide study of charities found 29 per cent of Australians would like to leave a gift in their will, but only 7.5 per cent do so.
