Conversations with Kathy's House

Natalie McAndrew, RN, and Ellie Englebrecht join us to talk about the bone marrow transplant caregiver’s support group they’re offering at Kathy’s House. When the doses of chemotherapy or radiation needed to cure a cancer are so high that a person's bone marrow stem cells will be permanently damaged or destroyed by the treatment, a bone marrow transplant may be needed. The journey is long and...

Denis and Cathy VandenHeuvel, from De Pere, Wisconsin, and recent guests of Kathy’s House, sat down to share their thoughts about their time there. They spend 6 weeks at Kathy’s House in 2022 while Denis underwent treatment for a rare cancer. Cathy, who has a podcast of her own, The Caregiver Cup , talks about how Kathy’s House supports caregivers in so many special ways.

Before Kim Maclin, RN, became the Director of Lab & Infusion Services with the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Network, she was a nurse caring for cancer patients at Froedtert Hospital. One of the many individuals she cared for was Kathy Vogel Kuettner It was in Kathy's honor that her family founded Kathy's House. Kim shares her recollections of her time with...

Dr. Malika Siker, is a radiation oncologist with the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Network, associate professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and serves on the board at Kathy's House. Dr. Siker explains that cancer doesn't discriminate and talks about how Kathy's House bridges health care inequities by making world-class specialized cancer c...

Lorraine Kofler has been a volunteer at Kathy's House for more than a decade. She explains why her time with guests and their caregivers is both memorable and rewarding. Because many of our volunteers serve guests directly, they have a unique opportunity to connect. Often, a volunteer is the first voice guests hear on the phone and the first face greeting them at the door. Learn more about ho...

Matt traveled from Naples, Florida to Wisconsin in February, 2022, to visit family and friends, attend a funeral and play hockey with his buddies. What started out as a vacation turned into a diagnosis of leukemia, a six-week hospital stay, and a bone marrow transplant to save his life. Kathy's House became his home away from home where he found support, safety and comfort in between hospital...

Welcome listeners! Conversations with Kathy's House is all about the many facets of how we  support a loved one (and ourselves) through a serious illness when care takes us far from home. Learn more at https://kathys-house.org/

Patty Metropulos, President & CEO of Kathy's House, gives us a history lesson on how Kathy's House came to be 22 years ago and the why it's so important to  individuals and their loved ones who travel miles and miles for the right healthcare. She also shares a mission moment - connecting us to the people who benefit from a hospital guest house.