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Helen Causey (MED '43)

It's a long way from Normal, Ill., to Pittsburgh—more than 530 miles. But Helen Causey and her husband, Gilbert, made the drive in May 2003 for her 60th School of Medicine reunion. They had a wonderful time touring Oakland and getting reacquainted with classmates.

Now back home in Normal, where Helen and Gilbert have lived for the past 50 years, her connection to the School of Medicine is stronger than ever despite the distance. She still speaks fondly of the education that trained her to do the work she loved for so many years. Helen interned in pediatrics following graduation and then decided to shift to anesthesiology. She performed her residency at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh and then went to Evanston, Ill., where she met her husband. They both practiced anesthesiology in Normal until their retirements.

Because of her rewarding career, and because she credits the School of Medicine with preparing her for it, Helen gives back to the School of Medicine. She and her husband created the Helen Denny Causey, MD, Endowed Fund, which helps medical students purchase textbooks each year.

"We feel that other people should profit from the money that we earned. It's a good way to help someone along the way," she said.

Helen knows how important help can be. A scholarship awarded from a state senator helped her make her way through undergraduate school. And, because of her academic success, the state senator agreed to continue the scholarship through medical school.

"It didn't pay my entire tuition, but it was a great help," she said. "I thought that there were other people in the same bind who probably needed the same help."

While on campus, Helen and Gilbert were able to meet students who benefited from the generosity of donors like themselves at the Scholarship Tea. It helped to reassure them that they were making a smart decision.