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Profiles in Giving: UI Carver College of Medicine
The Dane Family |
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Support fresh from the farm Four of John and Allie Dane's five children suffer from hearing losses due to genetic auditory nerve problems. Doctors from the UI Department of Otolaryngology in the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine successfully performed a cochlear implant operation for Donna Dane -- who was born profoundly deaf -- partially restoring her hearing. The Danes, who own Iowa City ice cream institution Dane's Dairy Drive-In, wanted to help the UI serve others in need, so they donated 235 acres of Iowa farmland. Forty acres were gifted outright to the UI Foundation. The $115,000 in proceeds from the sale of the land were used to create the John Dane Family Cochlear Implant Research Fund. The remaining 195 acres were put into a charitable remainder trust, providing steady income for the family and future support for otolaryngological research. The Danes' gift supports the pioneering research of Bruce J. Gantz, M.D., head of the Department of Otolaryngology in the UI Carver College of Medicine. Gantz and his team of physicians and scientists have made great strides in stimulating auditory nerve growth and improving hearing through ear implant surgery. John Dane explained that the work of Gantz and his team had great personal significance to his family and -- combined with the potential impact on millions of people with hearing loss who may eventually benefit from the research taking place at the UI -- inspired the Danes to help out. "I vowed that my family would make a significant contribution," Dane said. "The regeneration of auditory nerves, to me, would be an amazing breakthrough. I get so emotional when I think about it." Gantz said, "We are thrilled that the Dane family decided to support this research effort. Their gift enables us to advance our research much more quickly." Gantz explained that the gift from the Danes will help UI researchers fund studies to test their new ideas -- such as a recently designed ear implant that, unlike the cochlear, goes just a short way into the inner ear and can greatly improve hearing in those who are not already entirely deaf. "Our long-term goal," said Gantz, "is to create a research fund that we can use for the study of auditory nerve regeneration." The UI Foundation works with contributors like the Dane family to turn assets such as real estate into gifts that can support the university. "Gifts of farmland can work very well," explained David Triplett, the Foundation's vice president for gift planning, "especially when the Foundation has the opportunity to help the donors structure the gift to meet their needs and fulfill their intentions."
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