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Mary Ann Linder, left, James Linder, M.D., and his daughter, Emily, in 1983. |
The Mary Ann Linder Memorial Nursing Scholarship was established by Dr. Linder and Mary Ann Linder’s grandchildren — Emily, Kari and Eric Linder. It will provide scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per year, to students who are single parents in financial need and in good academic standing.
Mary Ann Linder was a single mother who battled multiple sclerosis. Her first symptoms appeared at age 18, and by her early 30s, she was completely disabled. She died in 2001 at the age of 64.
“The last 20 years of my mother’s life were only possible because of good nursing care,” said Dr. Linder, UNMC associate vice chancellor for research and president and CEO of UNeMed, UNMC’s technology transfer organization. “The care the nursing staff provided kept her alive for many years so that she could see her grandchildren grow.”
In the last 20 years of her life, she was cared for in the Cavanaugh Care Center at Douglas County Hospital, where she served as a counselor to many staff members when they faced personal challenges.
Supporting a scholarship to aid nursing students honors his mother and the nursing staff at the center, Dr. Linder said.
“The nurses were more than caregivers — they were also friends born from the long relationships they had together,” he said. “She helped them by showing them in the way she dealt with her disability that virtually any obstacle could be overcome with a strong will and faith in your spiritual beliefs.”
As a child, Dr. Linder saw firsthand the financial difficulty of being a single parent, as the family lost its house when he was 9.
“Our family thought that creating a scholarship to help students who shoulder the simultaneous tasks of supporting children, working and attending college was a wonderful opportunity,” Dr. Linder said. “We hope that it will make life a bit easier, possibly providing more time for their children.”
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“I hope UNMC alumni will consider supporting students with more scholarships though the University of Nebraska Foundation,” he said.
College of Nursing Dean Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., said she is honored that Dr. Linder chose to support nursing students.
“It will be our great honor to use this scholarship in Mary Ann Linder’s name,” Dr. Tilden said. “This generous gift from the Linder family shows the quality and values of her family.
“I am deeply grateful that the college can educate new generations of nurses who will be as compassionate and skilled as those who cared for Mary Ann Linder.”