Legacy gift to charity for the blind gives peace of mind

Mike Foort’s greatest fear, since he was a child, was to go blind. At age 64, his nightmare was fast becoming a reality. Mike developed glaucoma and cataracts in both eyes and was declared legally blind in his right eye. Thanks to the care of a Vancouver ophthalmologist, Mike’s sight was restored. Mike had a second big fear — of passing away without leaving a legacy that would improve the world, even in a small way. “I suffered a heart attack back in 2008 and it brought back to me what my grandfather always said: It is best that you leave this world in a little better shape than when you came into it,” said Mike. “I was troubled that I didn’t know how to do this and I felt I was running out of time.” “Then I learned from my ophthalmologist about Seva Canada Society, a Vancouver-based eye care charity that has been restoring sight and preventing blindness in the developing world for almost 30 years. The light went on, so to speak.” “I decided to leave a bequest in my Will. When I pass on, a portion of whatever is left will go directly to Seva Canada. Having been going blind and having my sight restored, I felt an affinity to people who suffer eye problems.” “My legacy gift is my last chance to change the world for the better and it enables me to do something I’ve always wanted to do.” “Since I created my bequest, I feel very happy and I’ve got peace of mind.” “I can think of nothing more wonderful for a legacy than giving the gift of sight to those who are blind. To me it is very, very important and I think about it daily. I just love the idea of being able to participate in a small way to make that happen.” Learn more about Seva Canada’s Legacy 20/20 campaign and how even a small bequest can transform lives.