Mar 16, 2018

Barrie Honours his Late Wife with a Gift

For close to a decade Barrie Curtis and his wife Shirley were monthly donors, giving generously to support Fighting Blindness Canada’s (FBC’s) mission to fight blindness. Inspired by Shirley’s enthusiasm for vision science and FBC’s work, Barrie decided to renew that commitment through a special gift in her memory.

Like so many who overcome the hurdles of vision loss, Shirley was an exceptional individual. In the 1950’s she emigrated from Britain to live in Montreal, where she met Barrie. After being diagnosed with Stargardt disease and becoming legally blind she remained active in her community: She volunteered at her church, managed little league soccer, and chaired the Canadian Women’s Club in Jamaica, where they lived for a short spell. Shirley and Barrie were married for 57 years and had 3 children.

After attending a tour of Dr. Gilbert Bernier’s laboratory in Montreal, Barrie realized that a gift in memory of Shirley would fund the kind of work that always fascinated her. Dr. Bernier and his team are transforming stem cells into sheets of cone photoreceptors, the cells responsible for absorbing light and producing vision. It’s revolutionary work, and with Barrie’s gift it’s now closer than ever to changing the lives of people like Shirley.

Legacy gifts and special donations don’t just fund the research of today; they build strong, invaluable foundations for the research of tomorrow. They give you and opportunity to shape a future that will benefit our children, our grandchildren, and the generations that come after.

For more information on how you can leave a legacy gift or special donation, please contact Ann Morrison at 1.800.461.3331 ext. 232.