“I wanted to honor the memory of my wife, Sally, who was a maternity and newborn nurse and I wanted to give something to the medical center. I’m blessed to have been able to do so, because the medical center is a blessing to all it serves.”
— John Francis Tanner
Sally Tanner was a wife, mother and grandmother who was profoundly treasured by her family. When John Francis wanted to honor the positive impact his wife had made during her life, he decided to make a planned gift in support of an area that had been close to her heart — helping patients.
As a nurse, Sally was deeply committed to the healing of others. Continuing that mission in her memory appealed to John Francis, their children and their grandchildren.
After discussions with Tanner Foundation about various patient needs, it was John Francis' grandson, a pediatrician, who encouraged them to consider directing their gift to help the community’s youngest patients.
The result would be the Sally and John Francis Tanner Neonatal ICU, a Level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton. Within weeks of opening, Weston and Wyatt Bowdon, twin boys born at just 33 weeks, became the first babies admitted to the Sally and John Francis Tanner Neonatal ICU. Today, the twins are thriving.
Planned gifts of any amount, also known as estate gifts, are an important part of Tanner Health System’s lifesaving mission. This planned gift will help generations of very small and very ill infants find healing, offer their families hope and celebrate the life and legacy of the lady who inspired it.
Is there someone you’d like to honor with a gift to the Tanner Medical Foundation? Contact Tanner Foundation at 770-812-GIFT (4438) or Foundation@Tanner.org to find the right option for you.