Stories that Touch your Heart

In the United States, one in every four deaths is due to cancer, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute. On Today's Stories that Touch your Heart, we focus on a woman who beat a rare, aggressive form of cancer. This is the second part of Maria Voermans story. https://nccd.cdc.gov/uscs/ https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/types.htm

This year, it’s estimated that cancer will kill more than 600,000 Americans. That translates to about 1,650 people dying per day in 2017, according to the American Cancer Society. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S.  Today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart focuses on Maria Voermans. The Greendale, WI woman was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer nine years ago. She walks us through her diagnosis and battle with epithelioid sarcoma.  Sources: https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2017/cancer-facts-and-figures-2017.pdf http://sarcomahelp.org/epithelioid-sarcoma.html

Today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart has the second part of Lee Drewa’s story. The recovering addict shares how he got clean in treatment and has stayed clean for 12 years. Only a small percentage of those who are addicted receive treatment, and the number of Americans who die from drug overdoses continues to rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016 from illicit drugs (like heroin, cocaine, amphetamines) and prescription opioids, which include: oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), morphine, and methadone. A provisional CDC report shows the trajectory for drug overdoses continuing to climb in 2017. While the numbers seem bleak, there is hope. Individuals who get hooked on these highly addictive drugs can receive treatment. “Research shows that combining treatment medications (where available) with behavioral therapy is the best way to ensure success for most patients,” according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Sources: https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/health_policy/monthly-drug-overdose-death-estimates.pdf 

Over 20 million Americans struggle with substance abuse addictions, according to “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health.” That’s more than 10 times the number of people who are diagnosed with cancer in the United States in one year. So many people have been affected by addiction, and family members often wonder why their loved one can’t stop using. On today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart, you’ll hear from 54-year-old recovering addict Lee Drewa. His addiction began in a common way, drinking as a teenager.      https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/ https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics

It’s estimated that over half a million people (549,928) in the United States are homeless, according to a report by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. A majority (68%) of those individuals were staying in emergency shelters and other transitional housing programs, while the rest were in unsheltered locations. (Further information can be found here: https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2016-AHAR-Part-1.pdf) In Wisconsin, it’s estimated that 5,685 people are homeless. In the city of Milwaukee, there are several shelters offering a safe haven from sleeping on the streets. The Milwaukee Rescue Mission is one of them. In addition to food and shelter, the Christian non-profit organization has programs to help individuals get back on their feet and provides hope for a brighter future. Today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart focuses on one man who walked through MRM’s doors four years ago; the person he was then doesn’t resemble the man he is today.

Many people are striving to move up the career ladder at work. They may be jockeying for a better position with their current employer or searching for an opportunity elsewhere that offers more pay and status. Most people couldn’t imagine voluntarily taking a large pay cut, and going from a position of prestige to one without. But that's what Glenn Rohde did 19 years ago. He was a chef preparing high end meals for the rich and chose to leave and serve free food to the poor. On today’s Stories that Touch your Heart, you’ll hear why he made that choice and has stayed at the Milwaukee Rescue Mission for so many years. Glenn shared his story while vats of chicken were frying in the background and his kitchen crew was preparing meals for the day. More information on the Milwaukee Rescue Mission can be found here: https://www.milmission.org/

Thursday, October 12, was world sight day focusing attention on blindness and visual impairment. Today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart focuses on a Milwaukee teenager who doesn’t let blindness stop him from achieving his goals. Before you meet him, here are a few facts on blindness: according to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, 36 million people in the world are blind. (http://atlas.iapb.org/) To be considered “legally blind,” an individual must have 20/200 vision or less, with the best possible correction. (https://nfb.org/blindness-statistics) Carlos Garcia wasn’t born blind, but has been 100% blind since he was a toddler, when cancer (retinoblastoma) in one eye spread to the other one. He hasn't let blindness slow him down. He’s a member of the National Honor Society, on his school’s wrestling team and volunteers his time to help others who are blind. His can-do attitude is inspirational. The following links have further information. The first is a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on Carlos Garcia: http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/columnists/jim-stingl/2017/01/05/stingl-teen-says-dont-really-see-handicap/96154212/ The second has photos of Carlos Garcia taken by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:: http://www.jsonline.com/picture-gallery/news/columnists/jim-stingl/2017/01/05/photos-carlos-garcia-will-compete-in-academic-decathlon/96208964/

Have you ever wondered why someone would want to become a professor, or how they became so interested in a particular subject that they decided to make it their life’s work? Today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart features Dr. Young Kim who became interested in researching crisis communication after holding a position in the South Korean army. He is an Assistant Professor in Strategic Communication in the J. William and Mary Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University. More information on him can be found here: http://diederich.marquette.edu/COC/Young-Kim.aspx

Many of us have an image of homeless people in our minds. It could be the man with a cardboard sign asking for money by a freeway ramp or someone sleeping in an alley in the middle of the day. You won’t usualy hear people talking about a homeless person by name, or mentioning what a great conversation they had with a homeless man or woman that morning. Today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart offers a different perspective from two women who eat free Saturday breakfasts with the homeless and working poor in the basement of a church on Milwaukee’s south side. Sandra Mandell, 44, and Patricia, 90, (a widow who was not comfortable sharing her last name) linger for a while at Ebenezer Stone Ministries, chatting with the regulars, getting to know people and even developing friendships with some individuals. They enjoy the conversations and sense of community that develops over the breakfast table.

Almost three in ten people who live in the city of Milwaukee live in poverty, according to Census Bureau statistics published by the Hunger Task Force. The estimated poverty rate in Milwaukee is 28.7%, the poverty rate in the United States is 15.5%. (See more details here: https://www.hungertaskforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/QuickFacts_Feb2017.pdf) To live in poverty, a family of four needs to make $24,600 a year or less. Those who are struggling to buy food and pay their utilities often take advantage of several meal sites and food pantries throughout the city. Ebenezer Stone Ministries, at 35th and Scott, is one location that offers free meals Saturday mornings and Wednesday afternoons, as well as an emergency food pantry. On a Saturday morning visit, I spoke to one man enjoying a warm meal who shared his story with me. McKinley Cullins has had some difficulties in his life, but he isn’t bitter or resentful for the circumstances. In fact, he calls himself blessed.

For many people, it’s hard to imagine not having enough food on the table to feed your family. But for some, that’s their reality. In Milwaukee, there are many different organizations that reach out to help those in need with food, clothing and other assistance. For the next couple of episodes of Stories that Touch your Heart, I’ll be focusing on one of those groups: Ebenezer Stone Ministries, a non-profit organization that provides support and hope for people in need on Milwaukee’s south side, and empowers individual’s to be financially independent. A team of volunteers make breakfast every Saturday at Ebenezer and serve around 200 people with mostly donated items. Those who eat the meal range from large families living below the poverty line to single, homeless men. There are usually around 10 volunteers who cook and serve the meal, as well as clean up afterwards. The individuals I spoke with were from a church in Greendale, WI. While they were serving the meal, a 75-year-old-man, Freddy Walecki, was walking among the tables and handing out a variety of items that had been given to him, ranging from canned goods to t-shirts. More information on Ebenezer Stone Ministries can be found here: http://ebenezerstoneministries.org/

At times in our lives, many of us have heard our judgmental thoughts telling us we’re not good enough, or won’t make it out of the challenges we face. For some individuals, those negative beliefs can spiral down a black hole, leaving the person feeling isolated, angry and even suicidal. Suzanne Meunier knows the devastation anxiety and depression can cause and the feelings of worthlessness a person can have. She’s a clinical psychologist who battled anxiety and depression for years. I met Suzanne at a conference in Anaheim, California in August of 2017. In today's episode, she shares her story and some tips to staying mentally healthy. She also give advice on her podcast called Love is the Answer, which can be found here: https://www.loveistheanswer.one/loveistheanswerpodcast/ (Please note: the audio for this episode was recorded on my Android.)

Most of us have felt anxious or nervous at times in our lives, but imagine being in such a state of panic that you start involuntarily gagging in public. That’s the state Gena Haskett found herself in when she was in her early 30’s. This set her on a journey to find out more about her anxiety and panic attacks, and eventually to share what she discovered with others. Haskett uses her skills as a library technician and archivist to find credible information on the subject, which she shares on her Anxiety Road Podcast and blog. Her goal is to help individuals make more informed healthcare decisions. I met Gena at a conference in California in August of 2017, and was intrigued that she mentioned there were gifts with anxiety and panic attacks. I needed to know more and wanted to hear her story. If you’re interested, you can find Gena’s podcast at: https://anxietyroadpodcast.blogspot.com (FYI, in her earlier podcasts, Gena says she “mangled medical terminology,” until she located a cite which properly pronounced the terms. She considers it all part of her learning curve, and encourages others to be lifelong learners as well.) Statistics on adults in the United States who suffer from anxiety disorders can be found on the National Institutes of Mental Health link below: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-anxiety-disorder-among-adults.shtml

It's the start of a new semester at Marquette University. It begins with so much hope, but sometimes that's not how it ends. I've seen students with great potential not stick it through to the end. Along the journey, they're stretched too much outside their comfort zone, face challenges they hadn't anticipated or get so far behind, they're not certain how they can make it through. We all can feel that way at times, it's life, but we can't stay there. Today's episode of Stories that Touch your Heart offers some hope when you're in that situation and it comes from two college students, Claire Kopperud and Nick Ormsby. They each tapped into their passions to tell audio stories of interesting people in Milwaukee, which is something neither student had done before. Claire's love of photography and Nick's passion for soccer gave each of them additional strength to press through the difficulties, complete the assignment, and do it well, with finals and other projects looming in the background.

Most of us have calendars to help organize our lives, with tasks to accomplish and meetings to attend. Our work days can be very full, but what happens when someone who is really hurting crosses your path? Do you stick to your plan, or throw it aside to help? I hope to do the latter, but it doesn't come easy to me. On this episode of Stories that Touch your Heart, I share a personal story of one day I threw my plan aside, and spent more than seven hours with a college student in need. It was an adventure, and I’ve never experienced another day like it, but it makes me wonder how we all could impact our communities if we’d take just a few minutes out of our day to help a hurting person who crosses our path.

In this episode of Stories that Touch your Heart, hear from two people whose lives have been affected by blindness and visual impairment. Kris Drollinger and Harold Mester had different experiences growing up, but how they view those challenges and use them in their lives now can inspire us to do the same. They both volunteer at ABLE, Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement, a non-profit organization in Milwaukee, WI. More information on the organization can be found here: http://www.ablenow.org/ (Also, it is important to note that I volunteer at ABLE, and have done so since August of 2016. I was inspired to tell the stories of volunteers here when I witnessed their passion and dedication; I wanted to hear their stories and share them with others.)

You're never too old to help others or to learn something new. Lenore Tesch and Kathy Herbst demonstrate that by bringing books to life for individuals who are blind and visually impaired. The women volunteer at ABLE, Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement, a non-profit organization in Milwaukee where they share their love of reading and learning.    Here's more information about the organization from its website (http://www.ablenow.org/): Audio & Braille Literacy Enhancement (ABLE) transcribes a broad range of print materials into alternative formats for people with print disabilities. We are committed to the belief that standard print materials should be accessible to everyone. Our specialized services are a key to dignity, productivity, enhanced literacy, and independence. Able provides transcriptions of a broad range of print materials, including: school textbooks and other educational materials magazines fiction, poetry, and drama for adults and children tax forms work and professional development materials business cards technical/training manuals or slide presentations election ballots diagrams, maps and other illustrations restaurant menus health and medical information  

Mark Zoromski has always been passionate about journalism. He had a career in the field for almost 20 years, and then went on to teach journalism for nearly two decades. In November of 2007, tragedy struck and he was forced to live through one of life’s most painful experiences. In the summer of 2016, Mark started a new position at Marquette University. He talks about this new role, his experience working with students at  the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the heart-breaking difficulty he and his family have lived though and the lessons he’s learned.  Mark Zoromski's new position at Marquette University Mark Zoromski's UW-Milwaukee students win national journalism award Mark Zoromski's response to his family's loss

What do I want to do when I grow up? It’s a question people young and old ask themselves. Like many of us, Kris Holodak wondered that too. She ended up going in several different directions before deciding she wanted to become a filmmaker and to teach others about it. She had to go back to school and get a second master’s degree (a Master’s in Fine Arts) to teach filmmaking in college and hone her craft. While it wasn’t a clear career destination when she was in her 20’s and early 30’s, what she always stayed true to was the one thing she was passionate about. Her Marquette University Profile,  Links to films she's written, directed or produced Google+