LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Published: April 14, 2005
Section: Local, page B8
Type of story: LETTERS

© 2005- Landmark Communications Inc.
Jones Institute needs support, not obstacles As the father of the fifth child born through the in-vitro fertilization process at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, I was well acquainted with Dr. Georgeanna Jones and deeply saddened by her recent death.


My late wife and I were among the first couples to come to Norfolk for the in-vitro clinic in the early 1980s. Dr. Jones' patience and encouragement were of great comfort, but it was her immense talent and dogged pursuit of scientific knowledge that made EVMS' program so successful and my son's birth possible.

Unfortunately, that program is struggling today to continue its mission. Many grateful parents, including me, have made donations to the Jones Institute Foundation and even served on its board of directors. But perpetuating its groundbreaking efforts takes more than private philanthropy. It requires consistent support from EVMS itself, not the ongoing rancor and lawsuits that are restraining the fair distribution of funds from the sale of technology research that the Jones Institute itself produced.

The pending arrival of a new EVMS president offers hope for the future. I trust that person will realize how critical researchers like Dr. Georgeanna Jones have been to the institution and why any monies that are due to the institute be directed there immediately.

Robert J. Kheel

New York, N.Y.