Legacy donor hopes for a future free of fibromyalgia
With fibromyalgia, every day can be a bit of a mystery for Winnipeg’s Debra Bausman.
“It’s a condition where every day you wake up and you don’t know what your body is going to be like, if you can even imagine that,” says Bausman, who has been on disability since being diagnosed in 2008. “Where is the pain going to be today?”
On some days, her walking is laboured. On other days, her arms hurt. Debra Bausman feels pain every day. But she also feels grateful. And generous.
Over the years, alongside her fibromyalgia, Bausman developed depression. In 2019, she started receiving support from two doctors and a therapist at Health Sciences Centre. The care she has received has made a world of difference.
“No matter what stage of life we’re at, our acts of gratitude can help others in the future,” says Debra Bausman.
“I am so grateful to this hospital. I can’t express it in words. They really care,” she says.
Earlier this year, Debra Bausman decided to express her gratitude by committing to leave a legacy gift to the HSC Foundation and joining the Bannatyne Legacy Circle. She has also decided to leave her body for medical research. She is hopeful that her actions will lead to more answers about fibromyalgia and other health issues: “I would like it to go to fibromyalgia because there is not enough information out there. This is such a painful, debilitating condition and they haven’t found a cause,” she says. “I just want my gift to do good for people.”
Bausman has always cared deeply for the well-being of others, a passion that led her to a career in social work in the fields of child abuse and homecare. She also served as a Victim Services Volunteer with the Winnipeg Police Service. And ever since childhood, she has been an eager learner, excited about discovering new knowledge. Her bequest to support research at HSC is an extension of who she is and the life she has led.
“This decision is just very natural for me. I can’t think of anything else that I would want to do,” says Bausman. “No matter what stage of life we’re at, our acts of gratitude can help others in the future.”
To learn more about Bannatyne Legacy Circle legacy giving program please click here or contact Irma McKenzie at the HSC Foundation by phone (204-515-5624) or by email ([email protected]).
