by Troyka-TC, on 08/09/2017
Children's Hospital helps cancer-stricken families work miracles
Ask anyone in Dane County who has experienced the services provided by UW Health's American Family Children's Hospital, and they will likely have nothing but positive things to say.
John Flesch, executive vice president and treasurer of the Gordon Flesch Co., was an early believer in the facility's potential, especially its commitment to ending childhood cancer.
Flesch, whose father founded the third-generation business technology company that's been a Madison mainstay for more than 60 years, became involved with American Family Children's Hospital at the conception stage, and he and his wife, Jeanne, are now dedicated donors and active advocates.
"It recognizes a need for kids with really difficult health issues, and it continues to work miracles," Flesch says. "If people aren't aware of our local Children's Hospital and what goes on there, they should take a look."
Each day in the United States, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer. Thanks to the collaborative research in the medical community and facilities like UW Health's Carbone Cancer Center and American Family Children's Hospital, research shows that more than 80% of children diagnosed with cancer will be cured.
Flesch, 66, is in remission himself from Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but the experience of chemotherapy exposed him and Jeanne to the effects cancer can have on patients and their families. "Take a look at the kids who are going through radiation or chemotherapy, or both," he says. "It will rock you down to your toes."
One child Flesch remembers well from a fundraising event he and Jeanne hosted is 3-year-old Emma Determan of McFarland, a little girl diagnosed with a form of neuroblastoma. Emma needed surgery to remove her tumor, but thanks to advances in research, Emma did not require chemotherapy.
"Emma had an orange-sized tumor removed from her abdomen," Flesch recalls. "Today, she is doing great, and this makes everything Jeanne and I are doing feel very tangible.
The Flesches also know several other families whose children have been cared for at American Family Children's Hospital.
"In a perfect world, we wouldn't need children's hospitals, but there is no such thing as a perfect world," Flesch says. "Having a children's hospital as a resource here in Madison is a phenomenal privilege. We feel very confident that the care our grandchildren would get at Children's Hospital would be equal to anyplace else in the country and probably the world."
HOW TO GIVE
INDIVIDUALS: Every donation to help the UW "fight kids cancer" campaign stays local, ensuring that your kids and grandkids - and the kids of your friends, neighbors, and coworkers all receive the best possible treatment and care in their time of need. Furthermore, a gift of $1 to fight kids cancer is an investment that yields $15 in total revenue through future grants and other forms of funding. Join the fight! Donate at: uwhealth.org/fightkidscancer
CORPORATIONS:
There are a variety of ways that your business can partner with the American Family Children's Hospital and the UW Carbone Cancer Center, including event sponsorship, volunteering, and matching gift opportunities. To learn more about what your business can do, email Sean.Lynch@supportuw.org or call (608) 422-1714.
