A gift of more time
The operation was a success. And with it came a gift Anna will never forget: 12 more years with her father.
“They weren’t just years on a calendar,” she shares. “They were years filled with graduations, weddings, christenings, family trips - even a journey back to the country of his birth, Lithuania. He was well enough to live and to enjoy life. Those memories are priceless.”
Her father passed away in 1997, but the extra time together remains one of Anna’s most treasured blessings.
For Anna, her father’s decision to allow his surgery to be filmed represents the very essence of giving back. Today, she honours his legacy through her own giving - by supporting the Heart Research Institute.
"Most Australians want to give - whether it’s their time, their skills, or their money. For me, donating to HRI is my way of saying thank you. Research gave me twelve more years with my Dad. And I want other families to have that same gift.”
Why Anna gives
Anna is a proud regular donor to HRI. For her, it’s not about how much or how often - what matters is being part of something bigger.
“When I give, I think of the extra birthdays we celebrated, the laughter around the table, the ordinary days that became extraordinary simply because Dad was there. That’s why I give. Because research makes moments like that possible.”
Top image caption: Anna with her dad (left) and husband Michael at their engagement party in 1990
