Dr. Barbara Mitchell wanted to leave a legacy through her estate plan that would combine her love for education and health with her desire to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. She found a perfect fit in Texas Children's Hospital.
Her interest in health and child development began in college, when Dr. Mitchell pursued a Masters degree in Home Economics at the University of Wisconsin and later obtained her Ph.D. in Nutrition from Texas Women’s University. After her doctoral work, Dr. Mitchell returned to the classroom – this time as a professor at the University of Houston.
It was here, at the University of Houston, that Dr. Mitchell met an adjunct professor, Elaine Potts. At the time, Potts was also working as a dietician for Texas Children’s Clinical Nutrition and Research Center. Her specialty was working with children who had very rare diseases. Barbara was astounded by Potts’ ability to “get children to eat when no one else could.”
Many years later, when Dr. Mitchell began making her estate plans, the memory of her friend and colleague inspired her to include Texas Children's Hospital in her will. Rather than making a one-time gift through her estate, she has made an arrangement for Texas Children's Hospital to receive an annual contribution on her behalf. “The hospital does so much good for children and families, whether they can pay for it or not. I’m happy to do what I can,” says Dr. Mitchell.
Texas Children’s Hospital is grateful for Dr. Mitchell’s generosity and will recognize her as a member of the Abercrombie Society. Her planned gift makes a permanent investment in the future of the hospital so that Texas Children’s can provide quality patient care, education and research for many years to come.