The National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias (NFED) is a special place because families, volunteers, care providers, researchers and donors are committed to our mission. Linda Marcus has a family like yours who is affected by ectodermal dysplasias. Read why this grandma is now one of the the NFED Smile Makers, which is what we call our monthly recurring donors.
Linda’s Story
Linda spends her time between the Bronx in the United States and Israel. Her grandson, Shlomo, and family live in Israel but are U.S. citizens.
Why do you donate to the NFED?
My grandson, Shlomo, was diagnosed with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) at one year of age. He is currently 16 years old.
Information and resources regarding HED in Israel, where we live, was scarce and almost non-existent. There weren’t many medical professionals with experience in treating HED beyond the field of genetics.
Eventually, my daughter, Naomi, and son-in-law, Moshe, found a pediatrician who had an HED patient in the United States and a pediatric dentist willing to take Shlomo as a patient. The NFED was super helpful with sending a packet full of information to our dentist in Israel.
Do you remember when you first made a donation to the NFED and why?
I cannot recall exactly how and when I discovered the NFED, but I started regularly donating in 2005. Whatever information I found on the website, I passed onto my daughter and son-in-law in Israel. I attended a Family Conference in St. Louis, Mo. in 2006 for the NFED’s 25th Anniversary and was so impressed with the sessions, speakers, and most significantly with the attendees.
That is when I decided to donate through appeals and donation requests. Eventually, in 2013, I decided to begin monthly recurring donations mainly to save time and to confirm my commitment to the NFED. I have been super impressed with the professionalism of the staff as well as their warmth, interest, dedication, and concern for the NFED community when I call or email or check online or receive the newsletters. You care, so I care, and I will continue to do my part by staying a recurring monthly donor.
What would you tell someone who is thinking about donating to the NFED?
Obviously, one donates to causes for which one has a connection. But why donate at all? I am fortunate to be part of a religious community for which giving to charity, in all its forms, is a fundamental belief. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the former Chief Rabbi of Great Britain and the Commonwealth said,
“Giving Charity is a mitzvah (a good deed) and a privilege. More than the receiver gains, the giver benefits. We are taking from what G-d gives us and sharing it. What elevates us in life is not what we receive but what we give, the greater we become.”
If you would like to join Linda in being an NFED Smile Maker, it’s easy to do.
Enroll Today