BIG HEART.
ALL FINLEY.

FINLEY’S STORY

Finley Scott Kruchten was a bright, driven, larger-than-life 17-year-old who believed in working hard, being true to himself, and doing life his own way.

At over 6'4" and still growing, Finley was hard to miss—but it was his personality, bright smile, humor, and heart that made the biggest impression. He was a student-athlete, a fierce competitor, a loyal teammate and friend, and someone who believed that if you wanted something, you put in the work to earn it.

Finley wore #74 on the football field at Denmark High School and competed in shot put. He dreamed of playing college football while studying computer science and engineering. He loved math, science, technology, strategy, anime, Rubik’s cubes, football, his friends, his teammates, and—most of all—his family.

One of the things Finley was proudest of was being Ian’s brother. As Finley grew and began making a name for himself, someone once suggested that Ian might soon be known as “Finley’s brother.” Finley’s response said everything about who he was:

He would always be “Ian’s brother.”

There was no competition in those words—only love, loyalty, and pride in his brother. For all of Finley’s ambitions and all the things he hoped to accomplish, he never lost sight of the people who mattered most to him.

Finley was disciplined and determined, but he also knew how to enjoy life. There was a little “Hakuna Matata” in the way he approached the world: be yourself, enjoy the moment, laugh often, don’t spend your life worrying about what other people think, and keep moving forward.

Finley didn’t need to be the loudest person in the room to make an impact. He showed people who he was through his actions. He worked hard. He showed up. He protected the people he cared about. He respected others. He helped younger athletes. He believed in his teammates and wanted the people around him to succeed.

That is what we mean when we say:

LIVE LIKE 74.

THE STORY THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

In June 2024, Finley became sick with pneumonia. Although the pneumonia was treated, a persistent, nonproductive cough and other symptoms continued over the following months.

By September, his symptoms had become increasingly concerning. During a football walk-through, Finley experienced shortness of breath, low oxygen levels, heavy legs, lightheadedness, and black spots in his vision, nearly causing him to collapse. His oxygen saturation had fallen into the 80s and low 90s, and he also experienced an elevated heart rate.

Finley was known to be Factor V Leiden positive, an inherited condition that can increase the risk of developing blood clots.

His family shared this information with his healthcare providers as they searched for an explanation for his symptoms. Testing and specialist visits followed, including a chest X-ray, EKG, and cardiology evaluation. His chest X-ray did not reveal the cause of his symptoms, and after an echocardiogram he was cleared from a cardiac standpoint.

But Finley wasn’t getting better.

On October 1, 2024, while at football practice, Finley called his mom and said the words no parent ever wants to hear:

“I can’t breathe.”

Shortly afterward, he collapsed.

Finley had suffered a massive pulmonary embolism—a blood clot that had traveled to his lungs. Despite extraordinary efforts to save him, the damage was irreversible.

Finley’s official date of death is October 11, 2024, following the medical testing and procedures required to determine death by neurological criteria. For our family, the days between Finley’s collapse and his death were filled with hope, prayer, heartbreak, and an unwavering determination to stay beside him and fight for him.

And even after we knew we could no longer save Finley, Finley was able to save others.

FINLEY’S FINAL GIFTS

Throughout his life, Finley showed up for people. He was loyal to his family and friends, committed to his teammates, protective of the people he loved, and willing to help others without needing recognition for it.

Through organ, eye, and tissue donation, that part of Finley continued.

His heart gave another person the gift of more time. His kidney gave another person a second chance. He gave the gift of sight, and through his tissue donations, Finley provided healing and hope to numerous others.

The boy with the enormous heart gave his heart.

There is something so unmistakably Finley about that.

At only 17 years old, Finley became a hero—not because of how his life ended, but because of the lives he was able to touch and save after his own could no longer continue.

His final gifts are now an important part of the mission of the Finley Kruchten Foundation, #LL74. Through our partnership with LifeLink of Georgia, we honor Finley by educating others about the life-saving and life-changing impact of organ, eye, and tissue donation and encouraging families to understand the extraordinary difference one donor can make.

Finley’s story did not end with his death.

His heart kept beating. His gifts brought sight, healing, hope, and more time. And his light continues through every life he touched.

WHY WE TELL HIS STORY

We share the medical details of Finley’s story for one reason: we want his symptoms to mean something for the next child.

Blood clots and pulmonary embolisms are often associated with adults, but they can happen in children, teenagers, and young athletes too.

Through the Finley Kruchten Foundation, #LL74, we are working to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of blood clots and pulmonary embolism in young people and to encourage greater awareness of clotting risk factors such as Factor V Leiden.

We want parents to ask questions. We want young athletes to speak up when something doesn’t feel right. We want coaches and communities to recognize warning signs. And we want healthcare professionals to remember that age alone does not eliminate the possibility of a blood clot or pulmonary embolism.

If sharing Finley’s story helps one family ask another question, seek additional testing, recognize a warning sign, or receive an earlier diagnosis, then his story continues to make a difference.

But we never want Finley to be remembered only for how he died.

We want the world to know how he lived.

Work hard. Be loyal. Include others. Stand up for people. Believe in yourself. Love your family fiercely. Be proud to be someone’s brother, teammate, and friend. Laugh. Do some good along the way.

And every once in a while…

Hakuna Matata.

LIVE LIKE 74. KEEP FINLEY’S LIGHT SHINING.