History of the Waddell 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 who became 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, Clinical Director of the UC Neuroscience Institute, Mr. Waddell created a legacy in Virgilee Waddell's honor by establishing the Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis with a $5 million gift. 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 at the time. "I want it to be a showcase for competence; I want it to be comprehensive so that 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 hoped the center would become 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, Kentucky, 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. 

The Waddells' youngest of three children was in college when Mrs. Waddell was diagnosed with MS. "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 on to 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 enjoyed being his wife's primary caregiver. He said that during that time, he and Virgilee were closer "than we've ever been in our entire lives."

But while MS brought the Waddells closer, they knew 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 considered 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 could traverse hardwood floors and ride her chair directly into the kitchen pantry, out onto the deck, or into the garage. An elevator would take 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." 

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."

From the beginning Oliver and Virgilee Waddell hoped the Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis would change that trend by enabling people with MS to get expert treatment and access to clinical studies at the University of Cincinnati and the Drake Center.

After 53 years of marriage, Virgilee and Oliver Waddell were parted with her passing, in October 2009. Her legacy, the Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis, lives on for those seeking a comprehensive center for competent and compassionate treatment. 

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The Waddell Center is also supported by additional gifts through the Greater Cincinnati Foundation MS Clinic Fund (which support the clinic's operations and patient care) and through the UC Foundation Waddell Center Fund (which support the clinic's research program).