Wisconsin Medicine Impact Stories

Life-changing stories have been coming out of UW Health and the UW School of Medicine and Public Health since the very beginning. Whether it’s providing a new lease on life to a patient, supporting a gifted medical student, or offering the hope of an innovative treatment to a family struggling with an illness, such stories impact us all. Here are just some of those inspiring stories.

Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

Honoring His Father’s Legacy

Dr. Nathaniel Chin turns his personal experience with Alzheimer’s Disease into work in research at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and a new podcast, Dementia Matters.

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

A Cause Close to the Heart

George Fait was passionate about pediatric medicine. With seven grandsons and more than six decades of generosity toward UW–Madison, George rallied his three children and their spouses to focus their philanthropic sites on creating the George Fait Family Pediatric Specialty Clinics at the American Family Children’s Hospital.

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

Joelle’s heart is aglow, despite complex defect at birth

American Family Children’s Hospital is one of only a handful of centers across the country that have the capability to perform biventricular conversion – a three-surgery sequence for serious heart complications. After undergoing this highly specialized treatment, Joelle Devries is back home in Oklahoma chasing her siblings and enjoying life on the farm.

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

Kingston is a miracle!

After nine months in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and more than a year on the medical surgical unit at American Family Children’s Hospital, 3-year-old Kingston Vang Wraggs finally got out of the hospital.

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

Kinsley dances through life – even in the hospital

While no family would choose to spend so much time in the hospital with their child, Sarah and Ryan Judd’s unwavering commitment to making hospital life as normal, if not fun-filled as possible, allowed their daughter not only to heal physically but emotionally as well. By trusting the doctors, nurses, therapists and child life specialists, Sarah and Ryan set the tone for Kinsley to view her care team as an extension of her family.

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

Sarah Bounces Back Quickly After Heart Transplant

Sarah Russell’s heart went from perfectly healthy to 10% function in just one day. Fortunately, she had the team at the UW Health Heart Transplant Program helping her and she received the gift of life with a heart transplant eight days after her cardiac event.

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

Pleasant T. Rowland Transplant Clinic opens at University Hospital

After decades of living with chronic kidney disease, a vital transplant gave Pleasant Rowland a healthy kidney, a bright future, and a broader philanthropic scope. She is expressing her profound gratitude through a transformational contribution that will change the face of transplant at the UW Health Transplant Center.

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

A Perfect Match

Following a successful kidney transplant at UW Health, Jeff Bakiares and his wife, Lynn, were so moved by the care Jeff received that they focused their philanthropic endeavors on the field of nephrology with a remarkable man in mind, Dr. Didier Mandelbrot.

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

Diane's Legacy

Diane’s legacy lives on, giving other women diagnosed with ovarian cancer new hope and inspiring the science and research at UW, every day, forever.

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

Mind Over Matter

“Too many women are told that incontinence is inevitable as we age or following childbirth. We know it doesn’t have to be this way, and our mission is to share that message broadly and connect those who are experiencing these symptoms with solutions that work for them.” — Dr. Heidi Brown

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

A Voice for Alzheimer’s Research

“Alzheimer’s disease takes an enormous toll on families, but thanks to work being done at UW Health, there is reason for hope.” — Matt Lepay

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

A Better Tomorrow for Future Generations

“We have seen firsthand how dementia and Alzheimer’s have scourged so many in our parents’ generation. Jill and I are determined to make things better for our generation and the ones that follow.” — Jim Kubek

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Allison Krecek Allison Krecek

Meet Kiko

CHAMPs facility dogs provide comfort to sick kids.

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