Daffodil Day Fundraiser Campaign Begins in February

This annual fundraiser with the American Cancer Society, coordinated by WMC Auxiliary, will be accepting orders at the hospital starting February 1^st through March 2^nd.  Order forms are available through the volunteer office at the hospital, or at any of the physician’s offices and home health.  They will also be available in the gift shop. Shar N. Hope, the official mascot of Daffodil Days, is pictured above with (from the left): Margo Cliche, Sharyl Phelps (of the WMC Volunteer Department), and Gretchen Muzzey, Mary Fitch, and Virginia Gainer (of the WMC Auxiliary). More information is available here.

Weeks Health Access- Financial Assistance

Weeks Health Access is a local financial assistance program to help you with the care you need when you need it most. Patients who meet criteria for participation can receive help with their medical bills for services received at Weeks Medical Center facilities. In addition, if patients further qualify, they may also enroll in our Pharmaceutical Assistance Program, which can provide needed medications at greatly reduced prices.

Who qualifies?

How to apply

Is there a cost to me?

What help can I get?

For further information please call the Weeks Medical Center Business Office: 603-788-5354

Dani Lunn Memorial Endowment Established to Benefit Northwoods Hospice

Weeks Medical Center has announced a gift of $50,000 from the family of Carolyn “Dani” Lunn to establish the Dani Lunn Memorial Endowment to benefit patients of Northwood Hospice. The announcement was made at the annual Northwoods Hospice Ball at the Mountain View Grand Resort in Whitefield on Friday, November 4^th. Dani’s husband, Glenn, and son Jeff were present for the announcement. According to the family, this generous gift is being given to honor Dani’s memory and spirit, and to say “thank you” to the organization that helped the family so much during an extremely difficult time.

In March of 2010 Dani Lunn was diagnosed with a severe form of lung cancer.

In October of that year, the Lunn family met with Northwoods Home Health & Hospice and decided Dani would remain at home. For the next month, Mary Bates, a patient care coordinator at Northwoods and Lisa Boudle, Dani’s primary nurse, came to the home once or twice a week to check vital signs, monitor pain medication, and to see how everyone was doing. Northwoods arranged for an occupational therapist to visit the home and make recommendations to modify the home to make Dani more comfortable. In late November, when Dani took another turn for the worse and it became clear that the end was near, Dani and the family met with Mary and Lisa to make a decision about what would happen next. Thanks to the caring professionalism demonstrated by Mary, Lisa, and the other Northwoods personnel, Dani was able to make the decision to stay at home, rather than move to a nursing home.

During Thanksgiving week Dani was only semi-conscious, but she was still able to interact with her entire family.

Dani died the day after Thanksgiving, in her home, literally surrounded by her family and friends. “I know she was comfortable and at peace,” says Jeff. ”She knew we were there with her, and she said goodbye in her own way, on her own terms.”

“I can’t say enough about how much hospice helped my family during that difficult time,” says Jeff. “Without their help, Mom’s final days would have been much more difficult and most likely spent in a nursing home or hospital. Northwoods Hospice is truly an amazing organization with truly amazing people.”/p>

Dani had a zest for life and a life-long passion for children.

According to Jeff, children were the most important part of Dani’s life. For 25 years she worked at the Whitefield Elementary School, eventually running the student support center where she acted as disciplinarian, tutor, and someone that the students could feel comfortable with discussing just about anything. She was strict, which earned her the nickname “Warden,” but she was also a compassionate listener, and the kids loved her. One of her former students sent her condolences to the Lunn family and said: “Mrs. Lunn was a wonderful person and perhaps the most important person in my life. I will never forget her and I thank God every day for sending her to me. I do not know where I would be without her. She was one of only a few people who believed in me and made me feel loved.”

“It was a privilege to be invited into the Lunn home to offer our support and services to Dani and her family,” said Gail Tattan-Giampaolo, Director, Northwoods Home Health & Hospice. “We are grateful that we were able to help Dani live out her life in her home surrounded by her family and friends.”

The endowment is also significant because it continues a family legacy.

Dani’s father, Dr. Robert Hinkley, was responsible for establishing the first cardiac care unit at Weeks, in honor of his mother, who died at an early age of a heart attack

The endowment will be used at the discretion of the Weeks’ Board of Directors to help other families who need financial assistance with hospice care. Only the interest from the fund will be used, so that the principal will remain intact in perpetuity. Donations to the Dani Lunn Memorial Endowment may be sent to Northwoods Hospice at 278 Main Street, Lancaster, NH 03584. For questions or more information about the endowment, please call Gail Tattan-Giampaolo at 788-5057.

“This is a truly outstanding gift,” states Scott Howe, CEO at Weeks Medical Center. “We are honored to establish an endowment for hospice in memory of Dani Lunn. This generous endowment will allow our specially trained staff and volunteers to continue their compassionate work in the many communities in which we serve. The permanent endowment will provide us with additional funds in the future to provide other hospice services throughout our community. We are truly grateful for this gift.”