Culture of helping children drives legacy gift

As longtime supporters of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, Hilda and Arnulfo Miramontes developed a love and understanding for the hospital’s lifesaving mission. Knowing the progress St. Jude is making toward cures, they felt it was important to establish a commitment that would help future generations of children. 

“We decided that St. Jude would be part of us,” Hilda says. “This legacy gift is from our family to our St. Jude family.” 

While many supporters choose to leave St. Jude in their will, the Miramonteses have included St. Jude in a charitable trust, which helps save on estate taxes and ensures that their assets are managed according to their wishes, both during their lifetimes and afterward. Just like a will, or other legacy gift, the generosity from the trust helps transform the future for children and families relying on St. Jude for hope and healing.

“Our gift is so they can continue the studies to find cures to help the children,” Arnulfo says.  

The California couple, Hilda now in her 60s and Arnulfo in his 70s, are grounded in values instilled in them by their Mexican culture. It’s the spirit of helping others that drives their work with children. For more than two decades, they operated a daycare center and served as foster parents while also raising their own two children. 

When Hilda and Arnulfo recently retired, their plans for travel had a first stop: St. Jude, where they were humbled to see their name on the Legacy Wall displayed prominently for patients, families and hospital staff.  

The Miramonteses say supporting St. Jude is their way of returning the blessing of having healthy children and four grandchildren.

“We believe 100 percent in this wonderful St. Jude mission . . . children should not suffer from these diseases,” Hilda says. 

“They are dedicated to helping the families, so these children suffer as little as possible. This impressed and moved us so much,” she says.