Peggy Stiegele (left) and her family
on a recent trip to Austria
In the prime of life, Margaret “Peggy” Stiegele was in the best of health. Nothing hurt. She felt fine. Or so she thought. Then a routine physical checkup revealed something sinister: a “silent killer” was looming.
The problem was hypertension. Peggy’s blood pressure was so dangerously high (more than 200/130) that she was at imminent risk of a stroke or heart attack.
For months, Peggy’s doctor ran tests and gave her medications to lower her blood pressure. But it was not until she met with vascular surgeons Dr. Ron Stoney and Dr. Lou Messina at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF)* that the actual extent of her condition was fully diagnosed. Peggy’s right renal vein was clogged, causing her right kidney to fail. Drs. Stoney and Messina were able to remedy the problem surgically.
Her experience actually benefited other family members who learned that their health was also compromised. Her brother, Arthur, and her son, Frank Hamilton, had vascular disorders. Arthur had hypertension, and Frank had an aortic aneurysm and peripheral vascular disease. As Peggy discovered, vascular disease tends to run in families.
The big lesson Peggy learned was that vascular disease is not only poorly understood, it is often poorly diagnosed. “Talking to your doctor about your family’s health history is extremely important,” she cautions. “That information can save your life.”
Today, twenty years after her corrective surgery, Peggy leads an active, vibrant life full of travel. She visits her doctor regularly and tracks her blood pressure at home. And she has developed a deep appreciation for medical research, particularly the concerted efforts to unlock the secrets of vascular disease.
To that end, Peggy donates regularly to FAVR’s research in vascular medicine. Gifts through her family’s charitable trust allow Peggy to see her money put to good use while simultaneously benefiting from a tax deduction.
Ironically, Peggy is no stranger to research. Her father, Arthur C. Nielsen, considered the founder of worldwide market research and developer of the well-known Neilsen TV market research ratings, believed strongly in research of all kinds.
“Research was at the core of my family’s business,” says Peggy. “And now I’m a strong believer in medical research. It has the ability to greatly improve lives – it certainly improved mine!”
Note: Dr. Ron Stoney, a retired vascular surgeon, is co-founder of the Foundation for Accelerated Vascular Research (FAVR) and Emeritus Professor of Surgery at the University of California Medical Center. Dr. Lou Messina is the Chief of Vascular Surgery at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center. At the time of Peggy Stiegele's kidney failure, both doctors worked together at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center.
