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The Waddell Center is the first fully comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis (MS) center in the Greater Cincinnati area. It is a joint effort between the Univeristy of Cincinnati College of Medicine, The Neuroscience Institute, and a community group of MS patients and relatives of patients who found a need for such a facility in the region. It is also supported by their generous donations. The Waddell Center is recognized by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society as the regional referral center for MS in the Greater Cincinnati area. The Waddell Center physicians and scientists integrate comprehensive, state-of-the-art clinical care for MS patients with research, basic and translational, and with innovative clinical trials. All Waddell Center physicians are MS/Neuroimmunology fellowship trained physician-scientists who focus their clinical skills and research interest solely on MS and related disorders (e.g., Neuromyelitis Optica, Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, and other disorders that can mimic MS). All of them participate both in clinical care and research activities. Because of their comprehensive knowledge in the MS field, they have a deeper understanding of the harmful mechanisms (both inflammatory and degenerative) that underlie the development of MS disability. This comprehensive knowledge optimizes treatment for individual MS patients. History of the center The Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis is the result of one of Cincinnati's most enduring love stories. In 2002, Oliver Waddell decided to do something extra special for his wife, Virgilee, who was diagnosed with MS in 1981. Mr. Waddell, a retired chairman of US Bank and now his wife's primary caregiver, wanted to honor her courage and determination in facing a disease that gradually robbed her of her independence and ability to walk. "I really admire her for what she has gone through," Mr. Waddell said. "She has handled it a lot better than I think I ever could have." Mr. Waddell, who had been married to Virgilee for 46 years at that time, also wanted to do something for the thousands of other residents of Greater Cincinnati who suffer from this incurable neurological disease. The Waddells both were concerned that many MS patients often traveled out of town for optimal care and the opportunity to participate in clinical trials that tested promising new treatments. After meeting several times with Dr. John M. Tew, medical director of The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati and University Hospital, Mr. Waddell created a legacy in Virgilee Waddell's honor by establishing the Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis with a $5 million gift. The Waddell Center is a component of The Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati, which also includes centers of excellence in Parkinson's disease, brain tumors, neurotrauma, cerebrovascular disease, and other neurological disorders. Mrs. Waddell learned of the surprise gift two days before it was made public in March 2002. "My dream is that the Waddell Center nourishes with three 'C's'." Mrs. Waddell said. "I want it to be a showcase for competence; I want it to be comprehensive so people do not have to travel outside of Cincinnati to seek help; and I want it to have compassion for MS patients. "In addition, the Waddells hope the center becomes a focal point for scientific research that helps scientists to better understand the disease and, ultimately, to find a cure. Mr. and Mrs. Waddell grew up in Falmouth, Ky, only two blocks from each other. His mother was her fourth-grade teacher. They began dating while they were in college, he at Duke University and she at the University of Cincinnati. They were married on his birthday in 1955. They have three grown children and six grandchildren. The Waddells' youngest child was in college when Mrs. Waddell was diagnosed with M.S. "My story is typical," Mrs. Waddell said. "I walked with a cane for a while, then with a walker. Then, finally, I needed a motorized chair to get around." Mrs. Waddell held onto her independence as long as possible. "You'd be surprised how many things you can learn to do in the chair when you have to," she said. "I can scrub kitchen floors in my chair, and I can clean cabinets inside and out." For many years Mr. Waddell helped Mrs. Waddell into her chair in the morning and then went to work. But he became increasingly uncomfortable with that scenario. "I tried to get her to accept outside help," he said, "but she was afraid that by accepting help too soon she would stop doing some of the things she was still capable of doing on her own." "I understood her reasoning, but I was still quite concerned," he said. "I'd sit down at the bank and then worry about her being by herself. So I decided to take early retirement and stay home with her." Mr. Waddell said he has enjoyed being his wife's primary caregiver. "It has been fun to spend this much time with her," he states. "I think we're closer now than we've ever been in our entire lives." But while MS has brought the Waddells closer, they know of other cases in which the disease has driven couples apart. "There are so many divorces in situations where the spouse cannot handle the incapacity of the person with MS," Mrs. Waddell said. "Ollie has never made me feel that way. He's always willing to help." The Waddells consider themselves fortunate to have the financial resources to accommodate logistical difficulties posed by MS. They moved out of a Georgian colonial home that had too many stairs and built a new stairless home in which Mrs. Waddell can traverse hardwood floors and ride her chair directly into the kitchen pantry, out onto the deck, or into the garage. An elevator takes her to the second floor. "We have been fortunate. I've always said this," Mr. Waddell said. "You just feel so sorry for people who do not have the resources to get the help they need. I have my cars outfitted with lifts, and I can take that chair and lift it into the trunk. Things like that make a difference." Having care close to home also helps families cope with the hardships of MS." I think MS care was extremely limiting in this city," Mrs. Waddell said. "I saw so many people whose sister or brother had just been diagnosed with MS, and their first thought was leaving the city and heading to another treatment center out of town because there were insufficient facilities here." Oliver and Virgilee Waddell hope the Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis will change that trend by enabling people with MS to get expert treatment and access to clinical studies right here at the University of Cincinnati and the Drake Center. The Waddell Center is also supported by additional gifts through the Greater Cincinnati Foundation MS Clinic Fund (to support the clinic's operations and patient care) and through the UC Foundation Waddell Center Fund (to support the clinic's research program).
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