Year by year, gift by gift, Dr. William T. Shearer has made financial contributions to Texas Children's Hospital that add up to an extraordinary lifetime commitment.
Dr. Shearer came to Texas Children's in 1978 to establish the Allergy and Immunology Service and made his first contributions to the hospital the following year by signing over several professional services honoraria. He has led Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital to a status among the best in the country, and his reputation as a top physician and scientist has likewise reached the highest level nationally and internationally.
"Texas Children's has provided me with the opportunity to use my knowledge every day to understand and find cures for complex diseases and to make life better for so many children," Dr. Shearer says. "The hospital has always supported my research work, from my first day to the present time, and I am grateful." He has been giving back to Texas Children's several times a year since those first gifts.
Dr. Shearer notes that several inspirational high school seminary teachers instilled in him the idea that giving to others to make the world a better place ought to be part of everyone's life.
"The reason I give to Texas Children's," he says, "is that giving to others is a way to have a real impact, and giving to strong institutions like Texas Children's ensures that your contributions will be put to very good use. If you can do something for a child, it's going to have such far-reaching effects."