William

William Love has been living with diabetes for years and is confident he is doing everything he can to stave off at least one of the potential complications of the disease—vision-robbing diabetic retinopathy. On a regular basis, Mr. Love visits Donald G. Puro, M.D., Ph.D., a Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the Kellogg Eye Center and a specialist in diabetic eye care.

“My eyesight is important to me,” says Mr. Love, an active 90-year-old. “I devote most of my time to reading, when I’m not outside in my garden.”

 
To help ensure that others are also able to maintain their sight, Mr. Love contributes to the Eye Center Annual Fund. The Fund is used to support research into diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, which is one of the leading causes of blindness in the developed world. Dr. Puro, for example, has developed a unique technique to study cells in the eye and is advancing what we know about why diabetes often damages sight.

“It feels good to know,” says Mr. Love, “that I’m supporting a place that brings hope to so many.”

Kellogg tops the list of dozens of organizations Mr. Love supports by living off of his Social Security income and donating his pension from Ford Motor Company to charity.

Mr. Love’s sense of giving stems from growing up with his grandparents in Northern Michigan . They were charitable, hard-working people, he says. A political and social activist, his grandmother gave away as much as she spent on food each week.

“My grandmother always had a Christmas savings,” he says. “We would spend $10 a week on groceries, and she would put $10 a week in her Christmas savings account at the bank. During the holidays, she would give it all away. She bought two small gifts for my two sisters and me, and the rest went into plain envelopes that I would take to people who were in need.”

Mr. Love is still delivering that spirit of generosity to his community—and making a difference as he does.

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