Conversations with Kathy's House

Susan Vogel, Kathy's sister, shares memories of their life together and Kathy's legacy today.  Kathy’s House is the Milwaukee area’s only hospital guest house that accommodates guests of any age receiving care at any area hospital. More than 75% of our guests cannot afford the full cost of their stay at Kathy’s House – and no one is turned away for inability to pay. Your gift to Kathy’s...

Brian and Estelle Hermes join us from Michigan. Brian’s been receiving care in Milwaukee for pancreatic cancer since 2009 and stayed at Kathy’s House quite a number of times. In fact, Brian’s stayed at the “old” Kathy’s House and current Kathy’s House.   Their unique perspective offers the best evidence of how important Kathy's House is to our community. Kathy’s House is the Milwaukee area’s...

Did you know that children find comfort at Kathy’s House? A family doesn’t stop “being” just because parents are away seeking life-saving care. In fact, the love of a child is a beautiful source of social and emotional support during such challenging times, making Kathy’s House an essential haven for families. I recently had the joy of chatting with Jessi and Anthony, along with their four wonderf...

Kathy's House staff and volunteers read thank you letters from past guests reminding us of the importance of our mission.  Kathy’s House exists because of the generosity of its donors and ongoing supporters Most of us have been touched by cancer, traumatic accidents or serious illness. The uncertainty and cost can trigger justifiable anxiety for any patient. Imagine if you also needed to leav...

David and Melissa Kelly traveled from Timonium, Maryland, to Kathy's House and the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Health Network after Melissa was diagnosed with a severely damaged pancreas. With world-class healthcare in their Maryland backyard, they don't regret the decision. What certainly was, and still remains at times, very difficult, their journey was made better...

Dan and Nancy Pollack were guests at Kathy's House when Nancy was treated for pancreatic cancer. They found that by opening up and sharing with and learning from others, their "new normal" was less daunting, less lonely. Dan and Nancy turned that support from those around them into supporting Kathy's House. Follow us at kathyshousemilwaukee on Instagram, Kathy's House on F...

What does it take to provide a world-class experience for the guests at Kathy's House? It takes a lean and mighty staff, it takes committed volunteers and it takes all of our donors. Today we're hearing first hand from staff about their work, their commitment and the joy they receive from guests at Kathy's House.  Follow us at kathyshousemilwaukee on Instagram, Kathy's House on...

Cindy Bielefeldt finds balance, joy and community in creating art. So much so, that when she found herself at Kathy’s House for 6 weeks while her husband was receiving treatment she started a watercolor painting class for other guests.  Follow us at kathyshousemilwaukee on Instagram, Kathy's House on Facebook, check our website https://kathys-house.org / or email us at mail@kathys-house.org.

Russel “Rusty” Konkol, is 70 years old, was born and raised in Amherst Junction, WI, population 377. He and his wife Linda, a retired nurse, raised 5 boys and a girl on the family homestead. Their sons all grew up to be pharmacists. Their daughter became a nurse. Rusty was diagnosed with advanced melanoma in May 2024 The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Network began offerin...

Sheila and Gerald, guests at Kathy's House, wanted to find a way to build community during their stay. They came up with bingo night, a monthly event to bring guests together to just have fun. "I just wanted everyone to have a happy and memorable moment." says Sheila. On a chilly December night, I chat with Sheila and Gerald, who arrived in August. I also play bingo with Tina, anoth...

This year alone, thanks to our donors, we have supported 1,366 families. Each guest who stays with us experiences firsthand the wave of kindness and comfort from volunteers, staff and most importantly—from each other. So with the holidays upon us, Kathy’s House would like to share our gratitude with listeners. Here’s just some of the notes we’ve received from guests read by Kathy’s House staff and...

Renee Stadler, a Kathy's House volunteer for sixteen years, shares her experiences as a volunteer and a caregiver. While volunteering, she worked as a respiratory therapist, as a teacher of the next generation of therapists, and raised two daughters.  If you'd like to learn more about how to volunteer at Kathy's House, visit,  https://kathys-house.org/help/volunteer/  

Alyssa, Jackie, Jen and Dr. Dan Heffez, neurosurgeon with the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network, join us on the podcast. The same diagnosis brought them to Milwaukee for brain surgery at three separate times.  Chiari Malformations  are lower brain abnormalities that can affect a person is any number of ways, from headaches to dizziness, weakness, anxiety and depressio...

This past March, the Kathy’s House board of directors announced that Kim Lamansky joined the organization as its new President & CEO. Lamansky brings a wealth of experience and is excited to partner with the staff, board of directors, donors, and many volunteers to advance the organization’s mission of providing affordable lodging and supportive services for individuals and families who must t...

Cascading encouragement are the words Tom and Carol Titzkowski use to describe the feeling at Kathy's House. They join us from their home in Combined Locks, located about 30 minutes south of Green Bay, Wisconsin. When Tom’s treatment plan for cancer required him to stay in Milwaukee for 100 days, he and his wife looked at all of their options. One look at Kathy’s House and they knew they were...

Security may be defined by the state of being free from danger or threat, but we all know it’s so much more than that – especially at Kathy’s House. Louise Kidd, security officer at Kathy’s House, offers us a peek at her responsibilities and the many moments of joy she feels in her role.

Don and Marsha Wilkinson were guests of Kathys House five years ago. To celebrate the milestone, and in gratitude of Kathy’s House, they came back with their daughter Cindy and granddaughter Jenny, to visit and pay it forward by making dinner for the guests. In this episode we meet Marie, director of volunteer services, who takes the family on a tour. After dinner’s served, I sit down with Don and...

Karla Peyreau made plans to travel to Milwaukee for cancer care and arrived at Kathy’s House with her brother Mark in June 2023. Despite the unusual journey, moments into her tour, she knew she had landed in the right place.

Staff and volunteers share notes of thanks from former Kathy's House guests. Every guest confronts a unique diagnosis. Their stories are often extraordinary. We are honored to be a part of their journey and to share their stories and gratitude.

Diane and Tom Arenberg join us from their home in New Mexico to share their experience at Kathy's House, from cooking to painting and watching the sun set from the porch.

Peter Ackell joins us from Appleton, Wisconsin, to talk about his stays at Kathy's House. As a recently retired physician, he brings the unique perspective of his journey with cancer.

Our 2023 Founders Award Winner and Past Board President Marilyn Thiet, explains how her initial involvement with Kathy's House evolved as she stewarded the organization through its most notable transformation. Marilyn led the board through the process of evaluating, envisioning, and enacting the plan for a new Kathy's House, which opened in 2021. Hear advice from this beacon of servant l...

Hollie Mealy started The Right Relief , a nonprofit organization that brings relief to caregivers in the form of home-cooked meals and other doses of support.  In only a few short years, she's delivered about 1,000 "belly hugs" to Kathy's House guests!

Receiving a life saving bone marrow transplant usually means having to be hospitalized for months. For a few fortunate enough to live within 30 minutes of  a major cancer center, bone marrow transplants can sometimes be performed on an outpatient basis, meaning a person can go home each night to their own bed, their family, their pets, their favorite cozy chair, in their own backyard.  Because of...

Dr. Nirav Shah is an oncologist with the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Network. He specializes in treating individuals with blood cancers who often require complex long-term hospitalization. It's not uncommon for his patients to be treated and carefully monitored in the hospital for weeks or months. Nearly half of the patients who receive blood and bone marrow transp...