Dr. Roger and Marilyn Friedman's Generous Estate Gift

Dr. Roger Friedman and his wife, Marilyn, have left an indelible mark on Nationwide Children's Hospital through their service. With the announcement of their generous estate gift, their legacy will live on for generations to come.

When Dr. Friedman finished his allergy fellowship program at Pittsburgh Children's Hospital, he convinced Marilyn that Columbus, Ohio, would be a good place to raise their young daughters and for him to practice medicine. Marilyn had already worked for five years as a child life coordinator in Family and Volunteer Services at Nationwide Children's Hospital while Roger was finishing medical school at Ohio State and during his pediatric residency at the hospital. They knew that Children's would provide many opportunities for teaching, taking care of patients, and research.

When the Friedmans returned to Columbus in 1982, Nationwide Children's Hospital did not have a full-time pediatric allergist. Dr. Friedman set up his private practice and, along with several other local allergists, volunteered one day a week at the hospital, seeing children with allergies. Today the Allergy Clinic is staffed by four full-time physicians, including Dr. Rebecca Scherzer. "We're very lucky that Dr. Friedman chooses to continue to volunteer in our clinic," says Dr. Scherzer. "He is passionate about taking care of kids, and we learn so much from him, especially when children have particularly complicated allergies. We are so fortunate that we have his expertise to draw on."

Dr. Friedman is especially pleased that more than 30 young residents he has taught have gone onto allergy fellowships throughout the country and many have returned to practice in Columbus. In addition, Dr. Friedman founded the first asthma clinic at Nationwide Children's. After staying home full-time to raise their daughters, Marilyn returned to Children's 10 years ago to work as a Certified Child Life Specialist. She works hard to provide coping strategies for hospitalized children. Karen Garvin, whose son Matthew spent three weeks in the hospital, said that coping and play activities provided by Child Life made all the difference the for her son. "This is one charity we will always support," says Karen.

Dr. Friedman has been involved in medical leadership, serving as past president of the medical staff, chairman of the career contribution committee, and chairman of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Medical Alumni Association. He also received a Career Contribution Lifetime Achievement Award from The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children's Hospital.

"When you receive awards like this, you realize you are older than you think," joked Dr. Friedman. "Nationwide Children's Hospital has been a fantastic place for Marilyn and me to serve. We are fortunate that we can give back, not only through volunteer service but financially. I was happy to discover that a planned gift can create a lasting legacy far beyond what I could give annually."

If you are interested in how you can make a planned gift that will impact future generations, please contact: