Couple’s generosity benefits the entire community

Zelda Levin of San Mateo started to lose her sight eight years ago. In 2001, she had emergency laser surgery in Mountain View to prevent blindness.

Following that experience, Zelda decided she wanted to do something to help others from losing their sight. She also wanted to thank the Mills-Peninsula doctors and nurses for the great care she received.

“I asked my doctor what they needed, and he told me about some great new advances in technology,” Zelda said. “After I told my husband Sydney, we decided to donate money to purchase new ophthalmology equipment. We designated it for the Surgery Center at Mills Health Center, San Mateo, because we wanted people in our area to have access to such care closer to home.”

Mills Health Center now has new state-of-the-art microscopes, lasers and several other high-tech machines, thanks to the Levins’ generous donation.

Hundreds of people with cataracts, glaucoma and other vision problems have since benefited from this new technology including Sydney Levin. Earlier this year, he had laser eye surgery to correct vision in his right eye. The painless procedure took only a few minutes.

“Many people like the Levins feel that saying ‘thank you’ isn’t enough to express their deep gratitude for care they received,” John Loder, president of the Mills-Peninsula Hospital Foundation, said.

“They often want to make a cash contribution and designate exactly how their gift is to be used. It’s usually for something that touches them personally, like it did the Levins. Now we have an easy way to do that through our Fund-a-Need program.”

Several departments are kicking off the Fund-a-Need program with displays listing what new equipment or materials they would like help purchasing. It could be anything from a new operating table to a recumbent bicycle. Donors choose which item or items they want to help pay for.

“We don’t expect most people to make as large a donation as the Levins did,” Loder said. “We greatly appreciate donations in any amount, and we are legally bound to spend the contribution on the item or area specified by the donor. Of course, we also accept donations that are not marked for anything specific.”

To thank them for their generosity, Mills-Peninsula has named the eye surgery area of Mills Surgery Center the Sydney and Zelda Levin Ophthalmology Wing.

If you would like to support quality health care in your community, look for Fund-a-Need posters throughout Mills-Peninsula or call the Foundation at 696–5990.