Jim and Linda Taggart
After surviving two cancers, a liver transplant, heart surgery and stomach aneurysm, Jim Taggart felt good. He credited Mayo Clinic and his wife, Linda, for both enriching and extending his life. He and Linda lived in Florida and had a built a treasured life on faith, family and friends.
One of the most frightening episodes in Mr. Taggart's complex medical history was when his liver began failing. Mrs. Taggart somehow managed to get her 6-foot-5, semiconscious husband from their third-floor apartment into the car. She sped 230 miles to Jacksonville. "I remember thinking it would be good if I got a speeding ticket because then I might get a police escort all the way to Jacksonville," Mrs. Taggart said.
Mr. Taggart came through that episode, but later died in 2011. Before he died, he and Mrs. Taggart named Mayo Clinic in their will, because they "were excited about making a commitment to Mayo's future." Mrs. Taggart says, "We want Mayo to be able to continue always, especially its commitment to the best interest of the patient. Through our experiences, we've seen the impressive variety of patients that Mayo serves. We understand the financial needs of its operation, and to help Mayo keep doing what it does feels good."
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