"Mayo has given me the gift of extending my life. I am grateful that I can give back and know that in some way I am helping to make a difference.” Julie Crandall

Emergency departments can be chaotic. Nurses and doctors moving quickly to meet patient needs, the wheels of gurneys rolling along hard floors, and monitoring equipment beeping to draw the attention of care providers. It was there that Fatima Islam discovered something was missing from her career.

Dick Buell’s goal is simple and selfless: “To help as many people as I can.”

Dawn Botsford was sitting in a chair at the hair salon in the fall of 2011 when her hairdresser commented on a spot on the top of her head. It was bug season in North Dakota, so Dawn didn’t think much of it. “When I told my hairdresser that, she said, ‘I really think you need to get it checked out.’ She saved my life,” Dawn recalls.

“Mayo Clinic is a special place — it’s the cohesiveness, competency and compassion shown by the doctors and staff and the immediate follow-up. The level of care is just so different, and it’s a pleasure to be on campus. All in all, it’s just such a fantastic organization. We believe in giving back, and it gives us such joy to give to Mayo.”