Portrait of a Testator, Marie-Christine Schaeffer

A unique bond exists between the American Hospital of Paris and each and every one of its donors. Marie-Christine Schaeffer holds our Hospital close to her heart because of the love she shared with her beloved husband, Jean, an accomplished businessman who worked his way to success and founded France’s first temporary employment agency.

“Jean walked into my life on August 9, 1968, in La Baule. I came from a well-to-do family in Rennes. Jean was older than me and not from the same background at all. From that day forward, we never left each other’s side. We did get a divorce once, but then we remarried! On the evening of the day we met, we had a car accident. Jean took himself straight to the American Hospital of Paris, where he had been a patient for several years already. Personally, I had never heard of the place. He liked to go there, probably because of his passion for the United States. So I also became a loyal patient. We had friends who were treated there and we gradually also became friends with some of the doctors. In our entire lives, neither Jean nor I ever went to any other hospital. It offers what cannot be found anywhere else: a wonderful welcome and exceptionally compassionate care […]. After all, no one desires to go to the hospital. In my opinion, the quality of a patient’s interactions with doctors and nurses and the empathetic support provided are just as precious as the medical skills and expertise a hospital has to offer.

After Jean died, just weeks after being diagnosed with acute leukemia, I thought things over very carefully. Our relationships with our respective families have always been difficult, and, sadly, our great sorrow in life was being childless. I wanted to find the best way to pass on the self-earned wealth that Jean had left me […]. When I contacted our lawyer to draw up a will, he suggested making a bequest in Jean’s memory to the American Hospital of Paris. We had several meetings with Marshall Wais, who was then Chairman of the Board of Governors, and the team in charge of testator relations. Again, little by little, a strong relationship grew between me and each of the team members, which continues to this day.

I chose a symbolic date for the signing of my will: June 4, 2016, which is Jean’s birthday. I am very happy with my decision and this gesture, which means that Jean will have left his mark; his name will be a part of the history of the hospital he cared so much about. In bequeathing my estate to the American Hospital of Paris, I am honoring my husband, Jean. I know that this legacy will allow the American Hospital of Paris to continue to grow, expanding and improving in the way I have witnessed since 1968. I am excited about the major changes and construction underway and eagerly follow their progress. We can all delight in the fact that our Hospital will soon be the greatest in Europe!”