Dartmouth-Hitchcock

"The reason I donate blood..."

Kim Finney takes a deep breath and tries the sentence again. "The reason I donate blood is because in August 1978, I left work at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital after a long and tiring shift as a nurse. I only got a few miles when I fell asleep at the wheel and was in a very serious car accident. I hit head-on with another car."

The 27-year-old Dartmouth Medical School student in the other car died from his injuries not long after the crash. "For many years it was very difficult for me to even talk about the accident or even deal with it," Finney says, adding that the accident is as vivid today as it was the day it happened, and she struggles with working to forgive herself. She entered counseling seven years ago to help with post traumatic stress disorder. It was at that time that she first donated blood, then plasma, before moving on to donate platelets. It was a turning point in her healing process.

"I feel donating platelets is helping to save lives," adds Finney. "They are used for surgery patients and premature babies—or accident victims," she says. "I donate because I feel in some way that it honors his life. When I'm here I really do some soul searching and meditating about that young man who lost his life. I feel it's one way I can help possibly save someone's life, so in that way, it's very important for me to donate."

Finney, and other donors like her, will be honored at a special event Thursday, September 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, celebrating donors to the DHMC Blood Donor Program. The event includes a special luncheon for the donors and a facilitated discussion including speakers sharing how their donations save lives.
"Being a blood donor requires significant commitment and effort," says Zbigniew "Ziggy" M. Szczepiorkowski, MD, medical director of DHMC's Blood Donor Program. "These individuals, like Kim, not only give their time but also give the precious gift of life, the chance for our patients, often their neighbors, to regain health and return to full and joyful life in the community. This is truly a celebration of wellbeing and joy of giving this most precious gift."

Since retiring from nursing, Finney has spent the last four years working at DHMC's Level 4 Information Desk, where she dedicates herself to helping visitors and patients while they are at DHMC. She hopes by sharing her story, others will learn how easy it is to donate blood or platelets - and that every donation can help another person's life, which falls in line with the Dartmouth-Hitchcock's mission of patient-and family-centered care.
The DHMC Blood Donor Program needs to collect an average of 35 pints of red blood cells and eight apheresis platelets every day to meet patients' needs. You may be eligible to donate if you are:

• Between the ages of 17 and 76 years old
• Weigh at least 110 pounds
• Feel well and healthy on the donation day
• Have not had a tattoo or body piercing in the last 12 months

For more information, or for donors to RSVP for the September 9 special event, please call 653-3775 or e-mail DHMC.Blood.Program@hitchcock.org.