Why Give: CHARLES GRIFFIS, MS ’83, PHD ‘05

“I give to the UCLA School of Nursing because of my mother, who always taught me to be fair. ‘Turnabout is fair play,’ she would say, and after all the UCLA School of Nursing has done for me, she’s absolutely correct. I also give because of another woman—my patient, whom I cared for over 2 years—from sedating her when the first lump was biopsied in her breast, until sedating her to put in the central line for pain meds during hospice care. I befriended this brave and wonderful woman and her lovely family during this long journey, and the lessons I learned will carry me far, as I said when speaking at her memorial. She challenged me on her deathbed—’Chuck,’ she said, her wasted hand gripping mine—‘you’ve got to do something about this dying in pain deal. Will you do that for me?’ And so I found the UCLA School of Nursing, and Dr. Peggy Compton, and Marie Cowan and MarySue Heilemann and all the rest. The School helped me fulfill my promise with my pain research, and will continue to produce those who care for humanity. So every time I give to the School of Nursing, in my heart I say: “This one’s for you.”

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