Gifford retires after driving dialysis patients for 26 years

In August of 1999, Bill Gifford took on the daunting task of driving patients from Lovell to Cody three times a week for lifesaving dialysis treatments. Since then, he’s spent 4,104 days driving 369,360 miles using five different vans to make sure the dialysis patients get the required treatments for their survival.

His retirement was celebrated by his friends and colleagues at the North Big Horn Senior Citizens Center following his last ride on December 31, 2025.

“We started the service after some seniors reported that they hit a deer driving to Cody,” said North Big Horn Senior Citizens Center Director Kim Gifford, who is also Bill’s wife. “Bill always jokes that he only hit three deer during that time.”

Other than those few minor mishaps with deer, Gifford’s driving record was a safe and dependable one for those patients who took advantage of the service throughout the years. Those patients couldn’t have asked for a more caring and empathetic driver. Gifford, a kidney transplant recipient himself, knows all too well what it’s like to count on these treatments for his survival, having received dialysis for three months prior to his transplant. He’s dealt with the need and the side effects, both positive and negative, of the treatments.

Retiring from providing the service through the North Big Horn Senior Citizens’ Center in Lovell wasn’t an easy decision for him after 26 years of dedication, friendships and even some goodbyes.

“Dialysis is a life sustaining service, and it is important to have a driver who is reliable and consistent,” explained Kim Gifford. “We were very lucky to have someone like Bill to make that commitment for so many years.”

Bill’s commitment to the service brought 26 years of excellent care that impacted the lives of 42 dialysis patients and their families by bringing them safely to Cody three times a week for treatment. At his retirement party, he was presented with a special plaque commemorating his service that read “Never underestimate the difference you made and the lives you have touched.”

Bill Gifford’s retirement and other factors have led to the senior center management’s decision to no longer offer the ride service. (See related article.)