Fairmont State alumna Kim Toothman and her husband, Don, have established the Kimberly Lannan Toothman Endowed Nursing Scholarship through the Fairmont State Foundation, according to a press release from the foundation.
The scholarship will provide support for nursing students at Fairmont State University for generations to come.
For Kim, nursing is more than a profession. Her career as a neonatal intensive care unit nurse created lasting bonds with colleagues, physicians, parents and even former patients.
“I’m very blessed to have worked as a nurse,” she said. “By creating the scholarship, my hope is to give opportunities to others so that they may have similar life experiences.”
The couple grew up in West Virginia near Fairmont, and Kim is a Fairmont State graduate. The university played a pivotal role in shaping her confidence, she said. Once a shy student from a small West Virginia town, she recalls how being accepted into Fairmont State’s nursing program changed her life trajectory.
“I learned that I could dream big and actually achieve it,” she said.
Kim went on to serve as a neonatal ICU nurse, flying in helicopters across North and South Carolina to transport critically ill premature infants for specialized care.
Although their careers took them out of state, the Toothmans remain connected to West Virginia. “We will always be West Virginians first and foremost,” they said. They hope scholarship recipients will not only find fulfillment in nursing but will also consider building their careers in West Virginia.
The Toothmans’ commitment to nursing is also deeply personal. Their daughter Taylor was born prematurely at just 27 weeks, weighing only 2 pounds, half an ounce, into the very NICU where Kim worked. Thanks to exceptional care, she not only survived but thrived. Today, Taylor is a dentist and orthodontist.
“Yes, a dentist named Toothman!” her parents joked.
“We are deeply grateful to Dr. and Mrs. Toothman for their extraordinary generosity,” said Fairmont State University President Mike Davis. “Their gift will help prepare skilled, compassionate nurses who are essential to the health and well-being of our communities. The impact of this scholarship will extend far beyond our campus, strengthening healthcare in West Virginia and wherever our graduates serve.”
To nursing students and recipients of the scholarship, Kim offered encouragement: “Though grades are very important, they are not the sole determinant of the type of nurse you will be. Compassion and enthusiasm are not graded. Skills will improve with practice as long as there is a will to be an excellent nurse. Don’t give up — always move forward.”
