Janelle Irwin Taylor
The University of South Florida (USF) has announced a $6.5 million gift for the USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute.
The gift comes from an anonymous benefactor who left the funds to the research institute upon their death. The anonymous donor had previously, in life, donated to the Byrd Alzheimer’s Center in smaller increments since 2002.
The university was not expecting a posthumous gift of this size.
“This is a significant gift that will help advance the University of South Florida’s mission to use innovative research to solve complex problems and create a healthier future,” USF President Rhea Law said. “We deeply appreciate this donor’s generosity that will allow us to further expand the Byrd Center’s critical efforts to improve the lives of Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers as we push for new discoveries that lead to a cure for this disease.”
The Byrd Alzheimer’s Center is one of the world’s largest stand-alone diagnostic facilities offering comprehensive memory care services under one roof. It has earned national recognition for its groundbreaking work.
The anonymous donor did not list restrictions on how the money could be spent.
“We can structure it in a way that best serves our needs in priority areas,” Byrd Alzheimer’s Center CEO Gopal Thinakaran said. “One immediate need is to establish professorships to recognize individuals who have contributed to Alzheimer’s research. This will allow us to recruit renowned Alzheimer’s disease researchers.”
While the donor’s identity is being kept anonymous, they are described as a successful businessman and voracious researcher. The donor was inspired to learn all that can be learned about Alzheimer’s disease after seeing the disease’s horrible toll on friends and family.
USF Senior Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Affairs Jay Stroman said the gift leaves a profound legacy.
“The Byrd Center’s faculty, staff and students, and the many volunteers who participate in their studies, are doing life-changing work,” Stroman said. “This donor recognized that and ensured they can continue to build upon those efforts. We are extremely grateful for his vision and his compassion.”
Dr. Amanda Smith, the institute’s director of clinical research, added that the surprise donation will have a huge impact.
“This extremely generous gift has great potential to make a difference in the lives of patients and families living with these conditions, and to fund research that will bring us closer to a cure,” said Smith, who is also a director in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences.
The gift is also expected to benefit those who care for Alzheimer’s patients and other dementia patients.
“It will make it possible for us to increase certain caregiver education and community education efforts,” Byrd institute Director of Education Eileen Poiley said.
The research center is hoping that this gracious show of anonymous generosity will inspire others to contribute to the cause.
“Although he wanted this gift to be anonymous, I am certain he would want everyone to know about the impactful and life-changing research accomplished by USF Byrd Alzheimer’s Research Institute as well as the patient care and amazing programs they offer,” said a friend of the anonymous donor, who also asked to remain unnamed. “A gift of this size — or any size — can make a big difference in people’s lives.”
