Imagine reading about an uncle you never met by discovering letters tucked away for over a generation. An uncle who battled heart disease his entire life.
Uncle Milton was not expected to live past adolescence, yet he became a successful commodities economist in New York City. His condition was, at times, so debilitating that a cot was kept in his office in case he experienced medical difficulties. Eventually, he succumbed to heart disease at the age of 38, tragically leaving a wife and two young children.
“Reading those letters about my uncle’s struggles left me in tears,” says Milton’s niece, who wishes to remain anonymous. “And finding those letters was shocking, since our family never shared those stories.” The weight of this knowledge prompted Milton’s niece to hand-deliver a check to the philanthropy team at Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland in support of its expanding cardiovascular program.
“No one should ever suffer as my uncle did,” continued Milton’s niece. “I have a healthy respect for anybody dedicated to the wellbeing of others, and I hope this donation assists with the ongoing funding for enhanced diagnostic tools to serve the East Bay.”
Tackling Heart Disease
According to the American Heart Association, someone dies of heart disease every 40 seconds. For more than a century, it has remained the leading cause of death in the United States, with roughly 48% of U.S. adults having some form or cardiovascular disease. The Centers for Disease Control also reports that the national spending on heart-related care and medications exceeded $168 billion between 2021 and 2022.
The AHA recently announced its annual Get With The Guidelines® awards with several Sutter hospitals recognized for quality cardiac care.
Cardiologists across Sutter Health are laser-focused on finding the most advanced treatments to help more patients. Several Sutter hospitals were honored by Healthgrades for excellence in cardiac care, including Alta Bates. Clinicians throughout the network emphasize that early detection remains one of the most powerful predictors of long-term heart health.
“We are so grateful when community donors step forward to help our programs advance,” said Maureen Smith, executive director of philanthropy at Alta Bates. “Compassionate donors help us treat more East Bay residents with the most advanced technologies and treatments that make an impact on thousands of patients.”
Building a Healthier Future Through Philanthropy
Cardiologists at Alta Bates and across Sutter have continued to expand the use of less invasive surgeries to replace all major heart valves — innovations that have been implemented across the East Bay with the help of generous community donors, like Milton’s niece.
Just last year, interventional cardiologist Dr. Christian Spies at Alta Bates became one of the first in the Bay Area to treat a heart failure patient in their 90s with a newly U.S. FDA-approved EVOQUE tricuspid valve replacement system. A diverse group of cardiology specialists made this milestone procedure possible.
Though this donor chose to remain anonymous, the contribution of Milton’s niece reflects a shared commitment across our community to strengthen heart care for all East Bay residents. She views her involvement as a personal responsibility to society in memory of her uncle.
Philanthropy plays a vital role in bringing advanced diagnostics and innovative treatments to Alta Bates. If you are moved to help drive the next breakthroughs in cardiology, we welcome you to join our donor community by contacting Maureen Smith at Maureen.smith@sutterhealth.org.
