PRINCETON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A Princeton physician and alumnus of West Virgia School of Osteopathic Medicine has established such a bond with a couple who had been under his medical care that it inspired a $40,000 donation to WVSOM.
Ryan Runyon, D.O., who graduated from WVSOM’s 2002 class, treated a Princeton couple recently, with the relationship compelling the anonymous couple to donate $40,000 to an endowment which will produce scholarships for future WVSOM students planning to practice in the State of West Virginia.
Earlier this year, a retired education professional came to Runyon’s office for a physical exam, leading to a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, an often-seen condition which causes irregular beating in the upper chambers of the heart. The condition is now being co-managed with a heart specialist.
“They were grateful we tracked it down,” Runyon said of the diagnosis. “But she was concerned because she’d just seen a specialist the day before and it wasn’t discovered. We found it by listening closely and making sure we went over the patient as a whole.”
The donation came months after the diagnosis, much to the surprise of Runyon.
“It’s touching, and it’s hard to wrap your head around, but it says a lot about who they are and about their commitment to education. The husband told me he was impressed with the quality of students WVSOM was producing and with the fact that its students were in my office,” said the WVSOM alumnus of the patients responsible for the $40,000 donation. “Their wish is to help students from southern West Virginia or surrounding areas who want to come back to the region after they finish residency training. They want to do something that will help e the community and make a difference for the future of West Virginia.”
The WVSOM alumnus established Princeton Family Medicine four years after graduation. The practice allows him to pursue his passion of helping others right in his hometown, with his current office even sitting adjacent to his childhood home.
The as-of-yet unnamed endowment will be supplemented with funds from the estate of a separate donor, according to West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Executive Director of Foundation Relations, Donette Mizia.
“The WVSOM Foundation will add $10,000 to the $40,000 to make the endowment $50,000,” she said. “The time frame for the scholarship award will be based on the foundation’s investment policy.”
