July 2018: Dedicated Donor shares his love of Mission Doctors
Dr. Bill Eddy
On a recent visit with longtime friend of Mission Doctors, Dr. Bill Eddy, I took the opportunity to ask him how he originally learned about the work of MDA. Bill told me that in the early 1960’s, there was a large active group of Catholic Doctors in Long Beach that met every month in support of the work of Mission Doctors and they often heard from our founder, Msgr. Anthony Brouwers. Bill said when it came time for the annual Auxiliary Gala, the group would hire a bus and he and his wife Joan would join the group to celebrate the life-saving work at a venue in Los Angeles. It was always a special evening out for the parents of seven!
While he and Joan traveled and were avid long distance cyclists, Bill’s busy OB-GYN medical practice kept them in Long Beach, for which his patients and their families are very grateful! “I never went to the mission eld to serve as a Mission Doctor, so I felt obligated to support the other Catholic Doctors who did go,” Bill shared. Dr. Eddy also served on the Board of Directors for 10 years, lending his leadership and support. “I also value the personal connection to the organization. The one on one relationship and the personal ‘thank you’ I receive really matters.”
We talked about how things have changed for younger doctors today. “When I went to New York Medical College, the annual tuition was $800 and I was able to get a meal for 70 cents. With the GI Bill, this was affordable.” I shared how MDA is working to assist young doctors serving long term with loan repayment through the Dr. James Carey Memorial Fund, as most young doctors now graduate with loans in excess of $130,000. “When I graduated in 1952, I had no school debt.”
I asked Bill if there was anything he wanted others to know about Mission Doctors and he said simply “They are doing such an excellent job!”
We are grateful to Dr. Eddy for his tremendous support of the work of Mission Doctors and as we prepare for the 60th Anniversary Celebration in February 2019, I told Bill that I really hope he will join us again! We want all those who support the work of Mission Doctors to know whether you’ve been a supporter for 60 years or 6 months, YOU are our partners in this mission of healing!
