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Careful estate planning makes it possible for supporters to make a lasting and substantial gift impacting the Brain Injury Association of America’s ability to invest in new lines of services and meet the ever-evolving needs of the brain injury community. The Futures Fund Legacy Society honors those who have remembered BIAA in their will or estate plan, purchased an insurance policy with BIAA a beneficiary, included BIAA as a beneficiary in their 401K or other retirement plan, established a trust with BIAA as a beneficiary or created an endowed fund benefitting BIAA.

If you have included the Brain Injury Association of America in your estate plans, please let us know. We would like to thank you for your generosity, make sure your wishes are understood, and recognize you as a member of the Futures Fund Legacy Society.

The following individuals are members of the Futures Fund Legacy Society, having made a commitment to advancing brain injury care and treatment through a bequest to BIAA in their estate plans or other planned gift:

Dr. Guillermo Arbona
Mr. Mark Lane Brandt
Douglas A. Cindric
Dr. John Corrigan
Mark W. Davis
Dr. Tina Dillahunt
John and Alice Dillon
Bud Elkind
Luann Good-deCurnou
E.P. Halstead
Heather Hamilton
Thomas Hardman
Margaret “Peggy” Harris
Page Melton Ivie
Sharon Keith
Stephanie Rivard Lane

Dr. Shelly Levy
Dr. Brent Masel
Douglas Minturn
Rhonda Oetzel
Reynaldo T. Palacio
Daniel Pando
Jill Pando
Harold Pritchard
Dr. Linda Redmann
John Rivard
Albert and Nadene Robertson
Dr. Robert Sbordone
Howard and Marcia Summers
LCDR Jeanne Van Gilder
Larry Volchok
Ms. Janice L. Zimmerman

Should your name be listed here? Please contact Stephanie Cohen, Development Manager, at (703) 761-0750, ext. 645 for more information.

Dr. Shelly Levy will be remembered for her dedication to the brain injury community.

In February 2020, the brain injury community lost a powerful friend and advocate.

Dr. Shelly Levy was a highly regarded specialist and leader in the field of brain injury and substance use treatment. In addition to her numerous committee appointments and volunteer efforts, Dr. Levy served on the steering committee of the Brain Injury Association of New York State, New York City Chapter since its inception in 2011.

Dr. Levy began her career by providing direct care and psychological assessment services for individuals with developmental disabilities in residential, day treatment, and school settings, ultimately expanding her practice to include treatment of substance use problems in individuals with both intellectual disabilities and brain injury challenges. Dr. Levy trained thousands of mental health and substance use professionals on the problems and treatment associated with brain injury and co-occurring substance use disorders. She was instrumental in the development of the first community- based neurorehabilitation program for adults with brain injuries in New York City.

A fierce advocate for social justice and access to care, Dr. Levy was dedicated to increasing awareness about the brain injury community. She loved her work, and in particular, the individuals and colleagues with whom she worked. Says fellow volunteer Laurie Rippon, “So many of us were isolated, hungry to be seen, heard, and respected. Shelly, who lived with brain injury but didn’t have one, believed in us.”

Dr. Levy’s love for her patients and the brain injury community transcended her own health. Says friend and colleague Dr. Catherine Mindolovich, “One of the last wishes Shelly expressed was to return to her clients and continue her efforts despite her own medical difficulties at the time. She remained concerned about her clients and their well-being until the very end of her own life.”

Dr. Levy further expressed her devotion to the brain injury community by making a provision for the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) in her estate plan providing for future generations of survivors, caregivers, and brain injury specialists. On Arbor Day 2022, friends and colleagues planted a tree in Dr. Levy’s memory in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

Include BIAA in your will or estate plan like Dr. Levy

“Mark was extremely grateful to BIAA,” shared Curtis. “Helping others was really important to him, which is something he directly experienced after his injury.”

In 2021, BIAA received a gift of $1.3 million from the estate of Mark W. Davis. This contribution is the largest planned gift in BIAA’s forty-year history. Thanks to Mark’s extraordinary philanthropy, BIAA will be able to advance a number of critically important projects, increasing service to the brain injury community for years to come. For those who knew Mark best, this gift is consistent with who he was – a person who was always thinking about others and how to better the world.

Abby and her brother, Curtis Reid, believe that some of their first lessons about the importance of helping others came because of Mark’s generosity. “Every birthday or holiday gift from Mark was a gift to help someone else out,” says Curtis, “I would open the cards to find he had sponsored a family in Africa in my name or bought a cow, a goat, or horse for someone in need.”

A renowned chef who got his start at New York City’s famed Carlyle Restaurant, Mark spent many years teaching at the New England Culinary Institute in Burlington, Vermont. He loved his students, and the feeling was mutual. If Mark knew a student was unable to go home for the holidays, he extended an invitation to his own gathering. If a student had trouble affording a textbook or other class resource, Mark made sure it was available at no cost.

Surgery for a brain tumor followed by a brain injury ended his teaching career. Mark lost his sense of smell and, with that, his ability to continue to work as a professional chef. During his recovery, he became familiar with BIAA’s work and was grateful for not only the services and supports, but also the investment made in brain injury research. After a lifetime of supporting others through his giving, Mark realized he was now the person who needed help.

He filled his time involving himself in his family business, Davis Publications, which specializes in arts education materials. Mark volunteered for a local hospice and the Vermont Association for the Blind, where he met his friend Walter. Understanding that Walter needed day-to-day assistance managing his home, Mark stepped in to help as a surrogate partner.

“Family and friends were so important to Mark,” explained Curtis. “You always felt the love in the room when you were with him.” Mark’s legacy of kindness and generosity extends to the entire brain injury community.

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