When his wife, Bonnie passed away from pancreatic cancer in October 2021, Dan McCausland wanted to find a way not only to honor her memory but show gratitude to the UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center team who treated her — especially the nurses who shared Bonnie’s dedication to the profession. That’s why he created a scholarship fund in her memory.

Dr. Dustin Deming understands when he meets a patient newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer how it will impact their life – because of how it has impacted his, twice.

Aleena Fietz is the second child to receive a heart transplant at American Family Children’s Hospital. While UW Health has been performing successful adult heart transplants for 50 years, the pediatric heart transplant program is in its infancy.

“I remember how excited I was to hang my stethoscope around my neck and listen to patients’ hearts for the first time,” says Catherine Ahern ’14, MD’21. “Medicine is so advanced from a technology standpoint, but a part of me loves how basic a stethoscope is and the usefulness of this tool even in today’s age. I hope to help the next generation of physicians feel welcomed into this community.”

Witnessing her father’s arduous journey through stage four colon cancer inspired Emily Schmitt MDx’26 to pursue an education in medical research and oncology. As the 2023–26 recipient of the Victor W. Gieschen MD and Barbara Gieschen Great People Scholarship, Emily is both grateful and enthusiastic about using her skills to improve the quality of life for her future patients.

For more than 17 years, the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine has been successfully training UW medical students in specialties that will help them provide excellent care to underserved communities in rural Wisconsin. This vital program is making a difference by offering essential services to increase wellness and quality of life for rural patients.

An orange dot on a driver’s license lets others know that someone has said “yes” to organ donation. With support from philanthropy, UW Organ and Tissue Donation partnered with the Madison Radicals professional ultimate disc team to show how to register as an organ donor and save more lives.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis put Randy Teske on the waiting list for a lung transplant. While there are treatments that may slow the progression of this deadly disease, there is no cure. With support from philanthropy, Dr. Lynn Schnapp hopes her research will help change that.

After years of preparation and planning, the pediatric heart transplant program at the UW Health Transplant Center launched in March 2023. Sezar became the first pediatric patient to receive a heart transplant at American Family Children’s Hospital on August 22, 2023.

A new registered nurse apprenticeship program at UW Health that is the first in the state and one of only a few in the nation began with its first cohort of students.

The LiveMSFree Fund at UW Health will help to provide a financial safety net to help stabilize vulnerable patients and families facing these critical challenges, allowing patients to focus their attention on their care and well-being, thus helping to ensure positive outcomes.

Heart failure at age 38, but simple steps have helped Madison woman’s heart improve.

At just 2 ½ years old, Scarlett was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Even with the most aggressive treatment, it was likely the cancer would return, and it did. But a clinical trial only offered at UW Health Kids | Carbone Cancer Center at American Family Children’s Hospital is giving Scarlett hope.

Three weeks shy of her 16th birthday, Ky landed in the emergency department with a severe lung infection from influenza A. While most teens recover, Ky would need new lungs. It was the beginning of a long road to recovery powered by a team of medical specialists at American Family Children’s Hospital and Ky’s determination to breathe on her own again.

Aiden Topper’s teddy bear and backpack are a special part of his medical care plan for severe pulmonary hypertension. Through play and fun, the specially-trained Child Life specialists and facility dog, Cola, made the transition to a new way of life a bit easier for both the active 3 ½ year old and his mom.

Having a child in the hospital can have a huge financial impact on families, especially those who travel a distance for care. Gifts to the Patient and Family Fund are used by our social workers to provide extra support when needed.

The hum of Dave Furumoto’s bagpipes is a welcome sound in his home once again.

Since 1973, UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center has remained at the forefront of life-saving discoveries as Wisconsin’s only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.

“Our goal at the Hope after Loss Clinic is to provide personalized care to each family and focus not only on their medical needs but also on their emotional needs,” shares Dr. Kristen Sharp, clinical associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

“Financial support from donors makes it possible for MEDiC to purchase medical supplies and an interpreter phone line needed to properly care for patients,” says Kristi Jones, director of community service programs at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “Donor generosity allows us to provide the highest-quality care to all patients.”