Janine Young

We are supporting researchers who had a passion for what they do, and that they do it because they care. And who wouldn’t want to help people who feel like that?”

Choosing a charity to support in your bequest is often tricky when there are so many worthy causes around.

But when retired Dunedin woman Janine Young went along to her first Otago Medical Research Foundation luncheon with a friend, her own bequest decision-making suddenly became a whole lot clearer.

“I listened to a talk from a researcher about breast cancer, and how some really remarkable discoveries stemmed from a small study funded by the Foundation as a starting point. One project triggered other people to go full steam ahead with their own ideas based on those findings – standing on the shoulders of those before.”


She found it fascinating to see how research discoveries were shaped, and had no idea such work was going on right here in Dunedin. “It was an eye opener.”


Janine joined the Foundation then and has been to every luncheon since. “It’s always interesting to listen to the wide range of researchers– all different but all well explained. And I really enjoy hearing about the young students supported by the Foundation - they are inspiring.”


She has a very personal interest in medical science – her brother was a quadriplegic after a rugby accident. “He was supported into a full life, but when he passed on he wanted to make sure his assets were used to help, so we donated funds towards spinal research,” Janine said.


“Now we have got to the stage of thinking about what to do with our own assets. Ron and I are just regular people - we’re not philanthropists or billionaires, we’re just busy active retired graphics designers who enjoy travelling, friends and staying fit. But we do want to make sure we do something worthwhile with the proceeds of our house, when the time comes.”


They both saw the value in supporting local research, hence the decision to make a bequest to the Foundation.


“It was a brilliant idea. We know it will make a little bit of a difference, to medical science and to the researchers themselves but it’s more than that – it is a beautiful feeling to think we are doing something really meaningful to us. We are supporting researchers who had a passion for what they do, and that they do it because they care. And who wouldn’t want to help people who feel like that?”