spring 2011 - home - great people. great...

life in rock county 1

L I F E I N R O C K C O U N T Y

spring 2011

2 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2011

we begin with bright minds.

Every child, every grandpar-ent, every person living in ourcommunity deserves the mosttalented and compassionatecare available. That’s whywe’ve recruited physiciansfrom some of the most presti-gious medical schools andtraining facilities in the country.And we’ve brought them hereto serve you at Mercy Hospitaland Trauma Center.

When you choose Mercy, youhave access to over 400 boardcertified physicians who areready to give their best to you and your family. From family medicine to heart care, neurosurgery to orthopaedics, cancer care to reconstructivesurgery, better medicine andbright minds are right here toserve you.

M e r c y H e a l t h S y s t e m . o r g

MAYO CLI NIC

better medicine

DUKE UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UN IVERSITY JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

YALE UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON UNI VERSITY HARVARD MEDICAL WALTER REED CORNELL UNIVERSITY

To bring you

HOSPITAL & TRAUMA CENTER


we begin with bright minds.

Every child, every grandpar-ent, every person living in ourcommunity deserves the mosttalented and compassionatecare available. That’s whywe’ve recruited physiciansfrom some of the most presti-gious medical schools andtraining facilities in the country.And we’ve brought them hereto serve you at Mercy Hospitaland Trauma Center.

When you choose Mercy, youhave access to over 400 boardcertified physicians who areready to give their best to you and your family. From family medicine to heart care, neurosurgery to orthopaedics, cancer care to reconstructivesurgery, better medicine andbright minds are right here toserve you.

M e r c y H e a l t h S y s t e m . o r g

MAYO CLI NIC

better medicine

DUKE UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UN IVERSITY JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY

YALE UNIVERSITY WASHINGTON UNI VERSITY HARVARD MEDICAL WALTER REED CORNELL UNIVERSITY

To bring you

HOSPITAL & TRAUMA CENTER


FeatureS06 tHe Great WISCONSIN

CHeeSe traIL Learn the best local

places for cheese

12 WHeN SeCONDS COuNt Mercy’s trauma team saves lives

18 exquISIte beauty,

CLOSe tO HOme Take a stroll through Rotary

Botanical Gardens

24 turNING FLy FISHING INtO aN art

Janesville man is one of thecountry’s premier bamboo fly rod makers

27 HeaLtH & FItNeSS Keeping shoulders and

elbows healthy

30 CCr: a NeW kIND OF revIvaL

Mercy doctor advocates alternative to CPR

2718

06

24

Table of conTenTs


34 maGazINeS, meDICINe, & mIraCLeS

Dr. Joy Ngobi provides education and hope in Uganda

39 a Heart FOr ServICe United Way Volunteer

Network inspires teenagers

42 Great aGe: LIFe IN a ONe-rOOm SCHOOLHOuSe

A school teacher remembers a 45-year career in education

45 COmmuNIty CaLeNDar

Dear reaDer:When I was a young journalist, I often told friends I preferred interviewing people who had never been interviewed before. That is to say, I loved bringing out the spontaneous passion in a person, whether that be about his hobby crafting unique mailboxes, her goal to create a new community advocacy group or his love for teaching.

There is nothing quite like discovering a great person who has a great story to tell.

That, of course, is where we got the name for this publication. There are so many people and organizations in Rock County whose stories deserve to be shared. In this issue alone, there is:

•Thedoctorwhoadvocatesanewprotocolcalledcardiocerebralresuscitation(CCR)thatcandoubleaperson’schanceofsurvivingcardiacarrest(pg.30).

•The98-year-oldwomanwhospent45yearsteachinginRockCountyschools,18ofwhichwereinaone-roomschoolhouse(pg.42).

•ThegroupofhighschoolstudentswhocreatedanewschoolclubcalledLiveUnitedbecausetheywantedmorecommunityserviceopportunities(pg.39).

•Thedoctorwhoestablishedanorganizationtoprovideeducation,healthcare,economicopportunitiesandvocationaltrainingforyoungUgandanmenandwomen(pg.34).

We have found many tales worth telling. But we need your help. Do you work at a school with a teacher who has initiated extraordinary class projects? Do you know a young person who is gifted athletically, musically or in some other way, and is destined for great things? Is there an unsung hero in your neighborhood who is making a difference in the world? Do you belong to an organization that has a unique story to tell?

If you have an idea for a story or want to list your event in our community calendar, please e-mail me at [email protected]

Together, we can make sure that everyone in Rock County knows about our wonderful people and rich stories.

Beth EarnestBeth Earnest,

eDItOr, “Great PeOPLe. Great StOrIeS.”

42


Your eyes are peeled with anticipation as each turn becomes nothing but a reflection in the rearview mirror. You scan the

landscape in search of the destination that has now become your buried treasure. Climbing to the top of one last hill, you release the gas just enough for gravity to pull you forward. Then you see the sign, and your journey begins.

Wisconsin may be the proud home of the best football team in the United States, but it is also the leading cheese producer in the nation. Perhaps its best-kept secret is the Wisconsin Cheese Trail. The trail, sprawling across the great state, leaves little question as to why Wisconsin is the land of the Cheeseheads. Blanketing the entire state of Wisconsin, the trail has many hot spots right near Rock County.

The GreaTWISCONSINCHeeSe traIL


life in rock county 7 life in rock county 7

Decatur Dairy, nestled along County Road F

in Brodhead, is a major cheese producer with

unbelievable flavor to match. It is here that the

search for the freshest cheese curds known to man

ends. Producing World Champion Muenster Cheese,

award-winning Havarti, your favorite classics and

the most magnificent flavor combinations put

into curd form, Decatur Dairy will have your taste

buds begging for more. Our advice: Stock up.

Serving the dairy needs of locals for more than

50 years, Decatur Dairy is also a leading supplier

for major grocers. Stop in for a tour of the facility

and be sure to take some cheese for the road.

Our aDvICe:StOCk uP!

8 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2011photographer becca dilley

If you’re on the hunt for another cheese factory

and shop, Roelli Cheese Haus in Shullsburg is a

spot you won’t want to miss. With a century-old

cheesemaking tradition about which to boast,

the Roelli Haus is the king of cheddar. Be sure to

stop by its artisan cheese factory viewing room

to get an inside look at a family tradition.

kING OFCHeDDar



Let the quest continue! Journey just a little bit farther into the heart

of Shullsburg and you’ll find yourself at the Shullsburg Creamery. Its

wide assortment of cheesy favorites may prompt you to bring a travel

companion along for a second opinion. Our suggestion: Chocolate Cheese

Fudge. That’s right—this delicious concoction will have you questioning

if you’ve ever truly lived. Is it fudge or is it cheese? You be the judge.

FeeLING aDveNtureSOme?



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www.EatWisconsinCheese.com© 2010 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.


2-4F Alp & Dell Cheese store ph: 608.328.3355657 2nd St., Monroe, WI 53566 Visit the Roth Käse factory viewing hall to watch award-winning authentic Gruyere cheese being made in traditional copper vat. Wide selection of cheese, meat, candy and gifts. Retail Outlet, Observation Window, Mail Order Internet, Group Tours Available. Hrs: M-F 9-6; Sat 9-5; Sun 10-5.

16-14F BrennAn’s MArket ph: 608.325.4433701 8th St., Monroe, WI 53566Specializing in premium fruit, vegetables, Wisconsin Cheese, micro beer and new world wine, Brennan’shas five locations: Northport Drive, University Avenue or Watts Road in Madison, Bluemound Road in Brookfield, and 8th Street in Monroe. www.brennansmarket.com

17-14e Brunkow Cheese oF wisConsin ph: 608.776.371617975 Cty. F, Darlington, WI 535308 m. north of Darlington at Cty. G and FFourth generation of cheesemakers make artisan English cheddars, all-natural cold pack cheese spreads, and the unique Brun-uusto baked cheese, heated over a flame until crisp and buttery. Retail Outlet, Mail Order, Tours Available. Hrs: M-F 8-3; Sat 8-1; Sun 8-12.

21-11e CArr VAlley Cheese CoMpAny, inC. ph: 608.986.2781S3797 Cty. Hwy. G, La Valle, WI 53941From Reedsburg, Hwy. 23 S, right on Hwy. K, right on Hwy. G 1.5 m.Est. 1902, winner of more than 50 national and international awards in the past two years. One of Wisconsin’s traditional cheese plants, famous for making cheese the old-fashioned way. Watch a fourth-generation Master Cheesemaker produce cheddar and artisan specialties.Retail Outlet, Observation Window, Mail Order, Tours. Store Hrs: M-Sat 8-4.Tour Hrs: Call ahead. www.carrvalleycheese.com

30-14F ChAlet Cheese CooperAtiVe ph: 608.325.4343N4858 Hwy. N, Monroe, WI 535665 m. NW of Monroe on Hwy. N, off Hwy. 69Only Limburger Cheese plant in the United States, Master Cheesemaker Myron Olson makes award-winning cheeses including 2006 and 2007 US Champion Swiss and Baby Swiss.Retail Outlet, Hrs: M-F 7-3:30; Sat 8-10.

36-14G Cornellier superstore ph: 608.364.19002970 Milwaukee Rd., Beloit, WI 53511Family-owned specialty shop offering Wisconsin-made products.Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: Open daily 7-10. www.cheese-r-us.com

38-14G DeCAtur DAiry, inC. ph: 608.897.8661W1668 Hwy. F, Brodhead, WI 53520Master Cheesemaker produces award-winning cheeses, including Havarti, Stettler Swiss, Swiss-Colby and squeaky-fresh cheese curds – all in a beautiful, scenic Wisconsin setting. Retail Outlet, Tours 8-11 am. Hrs: M-Sat 9-5.

39-13F Dee’s Cheese n More ph: 608.437.3337504 E. Main St., Mount Horeb, WI 53572Retail Outlet, Hrs: T-F 10-6; Sat 9-7; Sun Noon-5; Closed Mondays.www.deescheese.com

42-14F eDelweiss CreAMery ph: 608.938.4094N890 Twin Grove Rd., Monroe, WI 53566Led by a Master Cheesemaker, only artisan cheese factory in the US to manufacture traditional 180 lb. Emmentaler Swiss Cheese. Retail Outlet, Tours. Hrs: M-F 8-12; Tours M-F 7-11. www.edelweisscreamery.com

49-14e Gile Cheese, llC/CArr Cheese FACtory ph: 608.744.3456116 N. Main St., Cuba City, WI 53807Located on Main St. (Hwy. 80) in downtown Cuba CityThird and fourth generation cheese makers. Factory owned by the Gile family since 1946, producing state champion Colby and Baby Swiss, plus Cheddar, Cheddar curd, Monterey Jack and many other flavored cheese. Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: M-F 9-5:30; Sat 9-4:45; Sun 11-3. Closed Sundays Jan-April.

52-13e hook’s Cheese CoMpAny, inC. ph: 608.987.3259320 Commerce St., Mineral Point, WI 53565Intersection of Shake Rag, Commerce and Doty St. and Hwys. 23 & 39. Four styles of World Champion Blue Cheese cured in on-site underground cave. Artisanal Cheddars aged to 10 and 12 years, Tilston Point, Colby, Monterey Jack, Swiss, Parmesan, Sweet Constantine. Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: For you early risers - Fridays only, 4 am-2 pm.

53-10e huMBirD Cheese MArt ph: 608.372.60692010 Eaton Ave., Tomah, WI 54660We have been in business over 38 years, offering wonderful aged cheddars and more than 100 varieties of Wisconsin cheese. Enjoy our homemade fudge, ice cream and souvenirs. Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: Summer daily 8-8; Winter daily 9-5. www.humbirdcheese.com

61-11D le Coulee Cheese CAstle ph: 608.786.2811112 S. Leonard St., West Salem, WI 54669 Exit 12 from I-90. Providing quality Wisconsin cheese for over 26 years. Famous for our Mindoro Blue Cheese and 6-year-old cheddar. Hand-dipped ice cream cones, Wisconsin products and souvenirs. UPS shipping center. Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: M-F 9-5; Sat 9-3. Closed Sundays except in December. www.lecouleecheese.com

63-13F MAple leAF Cheese & ChoColAte hAus ph: 608.527.2000554 1st St., New Glarus, WI 53574/888.624.1234Corner 1st St. and Hwy. 39 downtown New GlarusQuaint store featuring 70 varieties of Green County cheeses! Be sure to try the Braun Swiss Käse cheeses including Swiss, Baby Swiss, Cheddar, Aged Cheddar, Brick and Aged Brick. Don’t miss the homemade fudge, ice cream and more!Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: May-Dec daily 10-5; Jan-April weekends only. mapleleafcheeseandchocolatehaus.com

76-11D olD Country Cheese ph: 608.654.5411S510 Cty. Hwy. D, Cashton, WI 54619 Hwy. 33 east from Cashton to Cty. D. Savor the essence of milk from Amish farms turned into quality curds. Specialties include Finnish-style Juustoleipa (HOO-sta-lee-pha) “bread cheese,” Cheddar, Marble, Colby, Monterey Jack, Cheese Curds, Muenster and more! Retail Outlet, Observation Window, Mail Order. Hrs: M-Sat 8-5. www.oldcountrycheese.com

79-13F pAoli Cheese ph: 608.845.70316890 Paoli Rd., Paoli, WI 53508 For a quarter century Paoli Cheese has been satisfying America’s cheese-lovers with the finest Wisconsin has to offer, including sausages, jams and snacks. Visit Paoli – a historic river town 10 m. from Madison. Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: Daily 10-6. www.paolicheese.com

80-11D pAsture priDe Cheese, llC ph: 608.654.7444110 Eagle Dr., Cashton, WI 54619In the heart of Amish country, our cheese is made with Amish milk. Offering a wide variety of Wisconsin cheeses, including award-winning Juusto Baked Cheese, and Amish crafts. Retail Outlet, Observation Window, Mail Order, Tours. Hrs: M-Sat 9-5; Sun 11-5.www.pasturepridecheese.com

84-14e roelli Cheese CoMpAny ph: 608.965.377915982 Hwy. 11, Shullsberg, WI 53586You can find us at the intersection of Hwys. 11 and 23Fourth generation of Roelli Family haul the milk, make the cheese, package and sell ourselves. Small batch, handmade way of making cheese. Famous for our Cheddar Curds, also make Monterey Jack, Swiss and Baby Swiss. Retail Outlet, Observation Window, Mail Order. Tours Available Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sat mornings. Store Hrs: 8-5:30 just about every day. www.roellicheese.com

87-13e sChurMAn’s wisConsin Cheese Country, inC. ph: 608.935.57411401 Hwy. 23 N., Dodgeville, WI 53533Next to the Bike Trail in Dodgeville.. Stop by on Monday and Friday for fresh-from-the-vat curds, and every day for many local specialties including beer and Wisconsin wines. Pack a picnic and then tour House on the Rock, just up the hill. Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: M-F 8-6; Sat 8-4; Sun Seasonal (call ahead). www.schurmanscheese.com

91-14e shullsBurG CreAMery ph: 608.965.4485208 W. Water St., Shullsburg, WI 53586 Shullsburg Creamery has a long and colorful history of cheesemaking and enjoys a well-deserved reputation of excellence. Visit the quaint cheese store in the Shullsburg Historic District. Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: S-Th 8 am-8 pm; F-Sat 8 am-10 pm. www.shullsburgcreamery.com

92-14F silVer-lewis Cheese FACtory Co-op ph: 608.938.4813W3075 Cty. Rd. EE, Monticello, WI 53570Approx. 4 m. east of Monticello on Cty. Rd. EEOur small factory has been producing cheese for over 110 years. Try our award-winning Brick, Muenster, Farmer and flavored Farmer varieties. Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: M-F 7-3; Sat 7-1.

99-12F the Cheese MAker #1, inC. ph: 608.546.3202Hwy. 23 – 1050 Wachter Ave., Plain, WI 53577We handle all your favorite cheeses – large selection of Wisconsin’s finest including 6-8-10 year cheddar and reduced fat/salt cheeses. Come by our store, call us or order online. Cheese gift boxes. Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: M-F 8:30-5. www.cheesemaker.com

108-11D westBy CooperAtiVe CreAMery ph: 608.634.3183401 S. Main St., Westby, WI 54667Downtown Westby at Hwys. 14, 61 and 27More than 100 years old, this certified rBST-free creamery is the only one in Wisconsin producing cottage cheese. Stop here for butter, hard cheese, yogurt, sour cream, chip dips and more. Retail Outlet, Observation Window, Mail Order. Hrs: Daily 8-5. www.westbycreamery.com

114-13G wisConsin Cheese & wine ChAlet ph: 608.884.327011190 Goede Rd., Edgerton, WI 53534 1.888.6CHALETI-90 at Hwy. 59, Exit 163, across from McDonald’sFree cheese and wine tasting daily; full deli; outdoor patio. Over 100 Wisconsin cheeses, novelties, microbrews, gift baskets and boxes. Live music Sundays during summer. Wisconsin sausages, salsas, mustards, and other specialties. Nationwide shipping.Retail Outlet, Hrs: M-Th 9-7; F-Sun 9-8. Winter Hrs. 10-7. www.wisconsinchalet.com

116-14F ZiMMerMAn Cheese, inC. ph: 608.968.3414N6853 Hwy. 78, South Wayne, WI 53587 Located in Wiota on St. Hwy. 78Four generations of Cheesemaking experience at work. Try our award-winning Baby Swiss, Muenster and fresh Muenster Curds. Store carries a wide variety of cheeses. Retail Outlet, Mail Order. Hrs: M-F 7-4; Sat 7-11.


THERE ARE 116 STOPS ALONG THE WISCONSIN CHEESE TRAIL. IT CAN TAkE A LIfETImE

Of dEdICATION TO vISIT ALL Of THEm, SO WE’vE PAREd dOWN THE LIST TO A fEW LOCAL

STOPS juST A SHORT dRIvE fROm yOuR HOuSE. fOR THE COmPLETE LIST Of STOPS vISIT

eAtwisConsinCheese.CoM/wisConsin/trAVelers.GuiDe.AspX


When seconDs count: Miraculous recoVeries froM inJury anD acciDent



GuNSHOt vICtIm beatS tHe ODDS

Bobby Bowman of Janesville has been in dangerous situations before. But nothing quite

prepared him for the indescribable experience of having someone point a gun at him and pull the trigger. The 28-year-old has emerged from the ordeal a little humbler, a little weaker and a lot more grateful for his life and the doctors, nurses, therapists and other staff who treated him at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center. “All the doctors and nurses did more than I ever expected,” he says.

a HOLIDay INterruPteDOn Thanksgiving Day 2010, Bobby was with his girlfriend Rotha Rin at her friend’s house in Janesville when Rotha’s ex-husband stopped by to drop off their 7-year-old daughter. “I could tell he had been drinking a lot, because he was already talking nonsense to Rotha when he dropped the kid off,” says Bobby. The ex-husband, John Tek, came to the house twice more that day, bringing a friend the last time.

During the ensuing fight, the friend, Samuel Morrow, allegedly pulled out a gun. When several people tried to push him out of the house, he fired his gun through the door and hit Bobby in the back and another woman in the head. “I’ve been in a crowd when someone has fired a gun before, but it’s never been personal like this,” says Bobby. “I didn’t expect him to pull out a gun.”

After Bobby was shot, he fell to the floor and blacked out. Emergency Medical Technicians stabilized him on the scene, then took him to Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, where the trauma team was waiting for him. “As a Level II Trauma Center, we always have a trauma surgeon, neurosurgeon and orthopaedic surgeon on call,” says Dr. Robb Whinney, board-certified trauma surgeon at Mercy. “We are available so we can rush a patient like Bobby into surgery.”

The bullet had blown a huge hole in Bobby’s left lung and stopped in the back of his neck. The trauma team needed to repair his lung and control the massive bleeding in surgery. His

heart stopped twice—once when the EMTs were transporting him to Mercy and once during surgery. “Any time someone has massive blood loss and an injury like that, it could go either way,” says Dr. Whinney. “The EMTs were completely prepared when he went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance, and they helped save his life.”

Bobby’s mother, father and several other members of his family waited anxiously at the hospital during his surgery. They had driven up from the western Chicago suburbs where most of Bobby’s family lives, including his 5-year-old daughter Isabella. “I found out what happened about two hours after he was shot,”

Bobby Bowman shows the bullet that was lodged in his neck after he was shot.


says Bobby’s dad, Bob Bowman. “The message from Bobby’s mom was, ‘Get to Janesville, Wis. Bobby’s been shot, and it doesn’t look good, so get there as quick as you can.’ My sister drove me up there. It was a long ride.”

During the surgery, the family members heard hospital staff call a “Code Blue” and assumed that meant Bobby had gone into cardiac arrest. “That was a terrifying moment,” Bob says. “All we could do was wait and hope everything went OK. Then someone came out and told us they were still working on him, and we breathed a sigh of relief.”

After Bobby’s surgery, surgeons gave him drugs that put him in a sleep state while he healed. “The vast majority of our patients don’t remember anything that happens in the days after their trauma,” says Dr. Whinney.

a mIraCLe reCOveryBobby woke up from his drug-induced coma two weeks after the shooting in Mercy’s Intensive Care Unit. From the doctors’ point of view, the worst was behind him, but Bobby was still frustrated that he was even in the hospital. “At first, I had no idea if I would be able to fully recover,” he says. “I know I was a handful to deal with when I was all looped up after waking up from the coma, but everyone who cared for me stayed calm.”

Eventually, Bobby moved to Mercy’s Comprehensive Inpatient Rehabilitation Center, where he worked with physical, occupational and speech therapists to regain his strength and memory and relearn skills like writing. “They were all very encouraging,” Bobby says. “They just kept letting me know how fast I was recovering. That made it easier

“aLL We COuLD DO WaS WaIt

aND HOPe everytHING WeNt

Ok. tHeN SOmeONe Came Out

aND tOLD uS tHey Were StILL

WOrkING ON HIm, aND We

breatHeD a SIGH OF reLIeF.”


Physician assistant Alissa Devos and trauma surgeon Dr. Robb Whinney examine Bobby Bowman.

to keep going. It really seemed like they were pulling for me personally, and not just doing their job.”

Indeed, many people would call Bobby’s recovery a miracle. “There are multiple factors that contribute to how well a person recovers from a trauma such as a gunshot wound,” says Derek Wall, MD, board certified trauma surgeon at Mercy. “Everything has to go just right, from the EMTs who respond to the scene, stabilize and transport him, to the team in the Emergency Room, the surgical team and the staff members who care for him after the surgery. The sum of these parts gave him the best chance of survival. Additionally, the EMTs were able to save previous time by transporting him to Mercy, as opposed to other trauma centers that are farther away.”

mOvING FOrWarDBobby was discharged from the hospital on December 23 and went through outpatient physical and speech therapy at the Mercy Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center. Now, he is back at work packaging products at Tyson Foods in Jefferson, Wis. “I feel really close to 100 percent,” he says.

The woman who was shot in the head was also discharged from Mercy. Meanwhile, Morrow has been charged with 11 felonies, including two counts of first-degree intentional homicide. His hearings are ongoing.

Bobby is working hard to return to a normal life. “Sometimes it feels like it’s just a dream and really didn’t happen,” he says. “But it did, and it had a big effect on me. Now, I just want to be the best dad I can be to my daughter.” Bobby Bowman has been

working to build up his strength.


As they sit holding hands in the library at House of Mercy Homeless Center, Phillip and

Diana Nicholas bring to mind two teenagers in love. Phillip, 50, and Diana, 54, had not been apart from each other since the day she climbed aboard his truck in California 11 years ago.

They had not been apart, that is, until Nov. 20, 2010, when a pickup truck blew a stop sign and slammed into the driver’s side of the Nicholases’ Chevy Cavalier east of Janesville.The Nicholases had parked their truck at Phillip’s employer and

couple surViVes horrific car crash

were on their way to deposit his paycheck and enjoy a day off.

The two “teenagers” came dangerously close to losing each other forever. But the trauma team and other staff at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center worked hard to help them heal, both physically and emotionally. “We had never even heard of Mercy because we’re not from this area, but it became more like a family than a hospital filled with people we didn’t know,” says Diana.

By the time Emergency Medical Technicians stabilized the Nicholases



beyOND tHe CaLL OF DutyDiana had fewer injuries than Phillip and was released from the hospital before he was. However, their car and most of their possessions were destroyed in the accident. Diana had nowhere to go and nothing to wear.

So Mercy’s Inpatient Case Management and Social Services department stepped in to help. Social worker Cindy Smith, MSW, LCSW, had already been working with the Nicholases since the day they arrived at the hospital. She arranged for Diana to stay at House of Mercy Homeless Center while Phillip was recovering. Then, she and the other members of the department went above and beyond the call of duty and chipped in to buy gifts for the Nicholases. “They were obviously very much in need of things,” she says. “Everybody just fell in love with Phillip and Diana,and we were able to get them some of the basic items they needed most.”

Now, both Phillip and Diana are living at House of Mercy while they regain their strength. They haven’t made any definite plans for the future; they’re just working to make it through each day. “I want to say thank you to everyone who helped us at Mercy,” says Diana. “As bad as our accident was, it turned out good. I don’t know what I would have done without the people who took care of us.”

and brought them to Mercy, a team of medical professionals—including a trauma surgeon, anesthesiologist, orthopaedic surgeon, vascular surgeon, general surgeon, social worker, nursing supervisor and staff from the laboratory and radiology—were waiting to care for them. “Both of their injuries necessitated our highest level of trauma response,” says Alissa Devos, physician assistant in trauma. “Everyone responded quickly so we could immediately treat the patients.”

Phillip had 18 broken ribs, two collapsed lungs, a broken pelvis and injuries to his spleen, kidneys and brain. Diana had eight broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken leg and injuries to her spleen and intestines. While Diana woke up briefly after her surgery before doctors put her in a medically induced coma, Phillip did not. “I remember there was such a concern for him because he would not wake up,” says Diana.

When Diana woke up again about a week later in Mercy’s Intensive Care Unit, she was surrounded by people, she says. “They were all telling me I was lucky to be alive,” she says. But for Diana, it was important that she be close to her husband. When she was strong enough, staff rolled her down to visit her husband in his room. “He had not woken up since the accident, but when I came in the room, his eyes popped open,”she says.

The medical care

had been Top-noTch,

buT ulTimaTely iT was

The love of his life ThaT

broughT phillip back

inTo This world.


Beauty, ExquisitE

rOtary bOtaNICaL GarDeNS IN JaNeSvILLe IS truLy a PLaCe WHere beauty reIGNS. tHe FaCILIty’S maNy INterNatIONaLLy tHemeD GarDeNS OFFer SOmetHING FOr everyONe—a FreNCH FOrmaL rOSe GarDeN FOr tHOSe WHO LIke eLeGaNCe, a JaPaNeSe GarDeN FOr tHOSe WHO LIke PeaCeFuLNeSS aND aN eNGLISH COttaGe GarDeN FOr tHOSe WHO LIke PraCtICaLIty aND SImPLICIty. Here, vISItOrS CaN FIND PLaCeS tO retreat, reFLeCt aND meDItate amONG tHe FLOWerS.

closE to homE


20 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 201120 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2011

22 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 201122 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2011


PauL bLOOm WrIteS IN HIS bOOk “HOW PLeaSure WOrkS,” “It IS NOt JuSt art. tHe PLeaSure We Get FrOm aLL SOrtS OF everyDay ObJeCtS IS reLateD tO Our beLIeFS abOut tHeIr HIStOrIeS.”

Indeed, the objects that come out of Don Schroeder’s Janesville workshop are not just art, but art with both

a history and a purpose. As one of the premier bamboo fly rod makers in the country, Don makes not only beautiful handmade creations, but ones that perform on any given stream or body of water in the way the customer desires.

tHe HObby tHat turNeD INtO a buSINeSSFly fishing started out as a hobby for Don, who learned how to fly fish on an inexpensive fiberglass rod and cheap reel. “My first fly rod just kind of fell apart in my hands, right there in the stream,” he says. “I imagine that was a pretty good fish I had on at the time. I decided then and there that I was never going to buy anything cheap again. If you can buy three cheap ones for the price of one that lasts, you might as well have the good one.”

It was about this time that the first book describing how to make bamboo fly rods was published. Money was tight, as Don was newly married. “I saw the book available as part of a free book offer from the Field and Stream Book Club,” Don says. “It was like it was meant to be!”

The book was free, but other equipment Don bought to make his fly rods depleted the newlyweds’ savings. “Three hundred fifty dollars was a real leap of faith for my wife at the time,” Don says. “I am sure there were many things our young household needed ahead of my crazy new hobby. But my wife had faith in me and it has worked out okay.”

As these things often happen, Don began creating rods for a few friends, and soon their friends were calling, looking for one of his magical “stream wands.” Before long, Don’s job at Hufcor Door was cutting into his time in his

TurninG Fly Fishi G i n T o a n a r T



workshop and hindering his ability to deliver rods in a timely manner. “At one point I looked at my wife and suggested that this crazy hobby just might be able to put food on our table,” Don says. “She took another chance on me, and 18 years later, we’ve never looked back.”

a reCIPe FOr SuCCeSSDon makes his rods almost entirely by hand. The magic starts with the bamboo itself. Less than two percent of the bamboo grown can qualify for Don’s rigorous standards. All of his bamboo comes from a cliff-like hillside in China, where farmers harvest it by hand.

After Don secures the bamboo, the only other pieces he purchases are the guides the line slips through and the ferrules that cover each rod section. Fishermen around the world recognize his rods for the spectacular wood he uses in the reel seats and nickel silver reel locks he manufactures by hand. “Other folks can make a fly rod and work with the bamboo,” Don says. “But I feel it is important—if I am going to literally


Don Schroeder’s Janesvilleworkshopisdedicatedtocreatinghandmadebambooflyrods.


sign a rod—that I have made every piece humanly possible to make. That includes working the metal parts by hand as well.”

The wood on Don’s reel seats is either tiger maple or claro walnut that comes from only a small area in California.

eaCH OF DON’S CreatIONS takeS mOre tHaN 40 HOurS, but He SPreaDS HIS tIme ON eaCH INDIvIDuaL rOD Over a tHree-Week PerIOD. tHere IS CONSIDerabLe GLuING at varIOuS StaGeS OF CreatION, aND eaCH SteP requIreS SubStaNtIaL DryING tIme.

That doesn’t include the hours he spends talking with each fisherman before he sees the rod in his mind’s eye. Each person has a different idea for his rod. Some want a fast action that helps cast the fly into stiff winds, while others want a slow action that matches the lingering motion of their casting action. This affects the weight, length, taper and geometry of the individual rod.

Once the fisherman decides on the rod action, Don discusses the type of fish and water on which he or she will be fishing. He may also discuss the types of rods the fisherman owns and his or her impressions of those rods. Only after they discuss all those points

does he talk about the all-important aesthetics of the rod. This is where his artistic side comes into play.

WOrkS OF artThe thread that wraps each guide and the style of the wrap is important. The fisherman may want a type of fly or a special dog engraved on the butt plate. Don can also style the bamboo itself by adding a flame treatment for color and style. Painting with flame, wrapping thread, metal working and engraving are just a few of the needed skills of a bamboo fly rod artist.

Even the cork in the handle is custom to each individual. Don builds the cork handle piece by piece, ring by ring, then fashions it by hand to any number of lengths and shapes. He chooses each small sliver of cork for color and texture to complement the aesthetics of the overall rod.

In the end, the fisherman has a work of art he will most likely pass down to the next generation. He certainly will share it with his fellow fishermen with great pride. “That’s a good thing,” Don says. “The vast majority of new clients come from friends of current clients. They have often cast in a stream alongside my clients and had an ‘aha’ moment. . . a moment they realize they have never experienced this kind of quality. That’s typically when they realize they have to have one as well.”

Don’s rods are not a quick purchase, however. The wait time often runs a year. It seems plenty of discriminating fly fishermen have come to agree with Don that quality is well worth the initial price—especially the first time they land a fish on a work of art.

for more informaTion abouT how To order one of don’s rods, visiT WWW.DGSCHrOeDerrOD.COm.


HeaLtH & FItNeSS

keeping shoulDers & elboWs healthy

Can you smell it? Leather gloves, dirt on the fields, freshly laundered uniforms—it’s

time for baseball and softball season. Little Leaguers and high-schoolers may already be hard at work in practices. But while the beginning of the season can be exciting, it is also the time to make sure your child knows the basics about how to prevent shoulder and elbow injuries.

“Of course, I see a lot of pitchers seeking treatment for injuries,” says

Darin Rutherford, MD, board certified sports medicine and primary care physician at the Mercy Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center in Janesville. “But I also see quite a few catchers. They are usually throwing just as much as the pitcher, plus they often have to make the long throw to second base.”

tHe mOSt COmmON INJurIeS Dr. rutHerFOrD SeeS are:

1 Little Leaguer’s shoulder: Thisconditionoccurswhenthe

growthplateatthetopofthearmbonebecomesirritated.Agrowthplateisanareawhereachild’sbonesaregrowing.Itiscomprisedofcartilagecells,whicharesofterandmorevulnerabletoinjury.

2 Little Leaguer’s elbow: Thisconditionoccurswhen

achildexperiencespainontheinsideoftheelbow,wherethereisalsoagrowthplate.



to hurt to do these stretching exercises once a day.” The stretching exercises shown on the next page are a good place to start.

6 aLWayS ICe aFter PItCHING. “I usually encourage

all my athletes to ice 15-20 minutes after they’re done pitching,” says Sara. “Icing is not just for injuries—it is also preventive.”

7 eNCOuraGe yOur CHILDreN—bOtH

yOuNGSterS aND HIGH-SCHOOLerS—tO teLL yOu WHeN tHey’re HurtING. “A lot of them are afraid to say anything because they’re afraid they won’t be able to play,” says Dr. Rutherford. “In reality, if we take care of it early, they will probably end up sitting out a lot less time than if they put off treatment.

8 DON’t uSe raDar GuNS tO CaLCuLate PItCH SPeeD.

Radar guns encourage children and teenagers to compete to throw fast. The athletes should instead concentrate on using proper throwing mechanics.

SO WHat CaN PareNtS aND COaCHeS DO tO PreveNt tHeSe INJurIeS? Dr. rutHerFOrD aND Sara baCHOFeN, atC, LICeNSeD atHLetIC traINer at tHe merCy SPOrtS meDICINe aND reHabILItatION CeNter, OFFer tHe FOLLOWING

Tips:

1StreSS GOOD tHrOWING meCHaNICS.“Learn how to

throw correctly first, then learn how to pitch a fastball correctly,” says Dr. Rutherford. “Curveballs put more stress on young shoulders and elbows, which increases injury risk, especially if the athletes have poor mechanics.”

2take It eaSy WHeN PraCtICING at HOme.

Youth baseball leagues have a daily and weekly pitch count for different age groups. If boys and girls are throwing hard at home, that can wear out their arms just as much as pitching in practice or a game.

3take DayS OFF OF tHrOWING. Additionally, take a

longer break from throwing for at least two to four months during the year.

4 make Sure yOur CHILD trIeS DIFFereNt

POSItIONS. “Some of the best pitchers didn’t start pitching until they were in high school or college,” says Dr. Rutherford. “It’s important that kids learn how to play other positions in addition to pitcher.”

5 aDOPt a StretCHING PrOGram. It’s best to start

stretching exercises even before the season begins. “Baseball and softball players need to strengthen their rotator cuffs,” says Sara. “Core strengthening is also very important. It’s not going

Because parents may not know all the ins and outs of proper throwing mechanics, the Mercy Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Center offers Mercy Acceleration programs that teach children and teenagers how to throw. During the programs, athletic trainers use videos of the athletes to show them how they can improve their form. “Shoulder and elbow injuries can be very serious, and knowing how to throw goes a long way toward preventing injuries,” says Dr. Rutherford.

SportsmedicinephysicianDarinRutherford,MD,andathletictrainerSaraBachofen,ATC,saythatstretchingisanimportantcomponentofconditioningforbaseballandsoftball.


for more informaTion abouT The mercy sporTs medicine and rehabiliTaTion cenTer’s acceleraTion program,

call (608) 743-2057.

Sara baCHOFeN, atC,is the athletic trainer at Edgerton and Evansville high schools and has 16 years of experience in the field.

DarIN rutHerFOrD, mD, is the team physician for Craig and Parker high schools in Janesville, and for the athletic program at Beloit College.

1

2

3

shoulder sTrengThening

exercises

1 sTrenGTheninG wiTh exTernal roTaTionHolding a 0-5 lb. weight, raise right arm diagonally from

hip to shoulder level. Keep elbow straight, thumb up.Repeat 10-30 times per set. Do 1 session per day.

2 sTrenGTheninG wiTh exTernal roTaTion in 90° oF abducTion

Facing anchor, with a light tubing or band around right hand, elbow bent 90°, forearm forward, pull forearm back, keeping elbow bent.Repeat 10-30 times per set. Do 1 session per day.

3 scapular: sTabilizaTion (prone)Holding 0-1 lb. weights, raise both arms out from sides. Keep elbows straight.

Repeat 10-30 times per set. Do 1 session per day.


ccr a new kind of revival



ccr a new kind of revival

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you see the letters CCR? If

you’re like many people, that acronym has one meaning, and one meaning only—Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Wrong CCR, but nice try. Actually, you might be surprised to learn an American rock band from the 1960s and 70s has more to do with cardio-cerebral resuscitation (also known as CCR) than one would think.

CPr reaCHeS a PLateauLet’s start at the beginning. Around the same time Creedence Clearwater Revival was tasting fame for the first time, medical advancements concerning what you now know as CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) were making waves. While experimenting with defibrillators, researchers found that the more pressure a rescuer applied to the chest with the pads, the better outcome he or she received. They also discovered how valuable compressions were. After many studies, the American Heart Association standardized guidelines for what is now known as CPR, eventually adding mouth-to-mouth to benefit both the heart and lungs.

Since then, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) has gathered every five years to discover ways to improve the effectiveness of CPR guidelines. However, despite these guideline revisions, there has been little improvement in survival rates over the last few decades.

This is where CCR comes in. In 2003, Gordon A. Ewy, MD, professor and chief of cardiology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and director of the University of Arizona Cardiology Fellowship Training Program,

Michael Kellum, MD, teaches a class at the Mercy Regional EMS Training Center.

Students at the training center practice cardiocerebral resuscitation on a dummy.


published his group’s intent to deviate from the ILCOR guidelines. The group wanted to implement an alternative resuscitation approach that for years had improved survival in animal studies.

Michael Kellum, MD, medical director for the Trauma Center at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, agreed. “I had become very upset by the lack of success CPR was giving our community,” Kellum says. “I shared my interest with Dr. Ewy at the American Heart Convention in Orlando, Florida, and so began my investigation into this new resuscitation approach.”

Dr. Kellum, with the help of a group of individuals involved in the pre-hospital care of cardiac arrest, implemented CCR in the Rock County and Walworth County area in spring of 2004.

HOW CCr WOrkSCardiocerebral resuscitation uses continuous chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth breathing. CCR’s main focus is to provide maximal blood flow to the heart and brain. “When an individual goes into cardiac arrest, the body still has a supply of oxygen available without added ventilation,” says Dr. Kellum. “The crucial issue is delivering it to the brain and heart.”

Compressions act as an artificial heartbeat for those who have gone into cardiac arrest, and when they are stopped for mouth-to-mouth breathing, blood flow immediately ceases. Furthermore, pressure to the heart and brain does not begin to build up until halfway through a chest-compression cycle. When that pressure stops, it almost immediately descends to zero, eliminating any progress the rescuer

has made. After mouth-to-mouth, it takes halfway through the following cycle to build the pressure back up, essentially creating a game of catch-up.

“We can put as much oxygen into the body as we want, but the compression cycles are essential for circulating blood and oxygen,” says Tom Brunner, firefighter and paramedic with the Janesville Fire Department.

a Great SuCCeSSRock and Walworth County Emergency Medical Services groups have seen that CCR doubles survival for patients whose cardiac arrest was witnessed and whose initial rhythm

is “shockable” (meaning it might respond to defibrillation attempts).

“In the beginning, it was a bit difficult learning a new concept, much like you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” says Tom. “But within the last few years, we’ve seen the results.CCR has proven over and over to be more effective than CPR.”

In recent years, medical research has shown that the average neurologically intact survival rate for “witnessed-shockable” cardiac arrest patients who received CPR was 22 percent,compared to 44 percent for CCR.


“CPr FOCuSeS ON Heart aND LuNGS, WHILe CCr FOCuSeS ON Heart aND braIN,” SayS tOm.

“Not only do patients who have undergone cardiac arrest have their vital organs, but they also have their brain activity due to CCR.”

In order to preserve brain function, Mercy Health System has also implemented cooling procedures for comatose patients who survive an arrest. Individuals are cooled to 33

degrees centigrade for 24 hours and then rewarmed. This process also improves brain function in survivors.

“The great success we’ve seen for cardiac arrest patients is the result of those working in our health system,” says Dr. Kellum. “EMTs have taken the time to learn CCR, think about it and practice it. They’re doing a remarkable service that is saving lives. It’s these dedicated EMTs and paramedics—who may live next door to you—who have the potential to save your life. They’re seeing life-saving results, and they’re on a high you can’t buy because of it.”

NOt yet tHe StaNDarD OF CareMercy Health System teaches both CPR and CCR. While the American Heart Association does not yet recognize CCR certification, medical directors have the right to change pre-hospital procedures if they believe they’re beneficial.“Although there’s still a basis of CPR present, I wouldn’t go back to relying on it solely,” says Brunner. “CCR has

proven time and time again to be unbelievably effective, and it really makes you think differently when you see a positive end result like that.”

Since 2005, many of CCR’s components have been incorporated into the ILCOR guidelines for CPR. “Shortly after the movement for CCR began, there were only 250,000 EMS professionals using CCR,” says Dr. Kellum. “Today, there are more than one million EMS professionals using it. I’m like a proud grandpa. I’m thrilled that our paramedics and EMTs are seeing they can do something so incredibly beneficial.”

tO LearN mOre abOut CCr aND tHe teCHNIque, CONtaCt tHe baDGer CHaPter OF tHe amerICaN reD CrOSS IN maDISON at (608) 232-5800.

These men, shown in their graduation photo, completed the EMT-Paramedic Training Program at the Mercy Regional EMS Training Center.

Front Row: Kory Sukow, Jacob Kuehne,Nicholas Roehl, Parker McKenzieBack Row: Shawn West, Matthew Pieper, Ryan Huenerberg, Ryan Brewer, Justin Mueller, Dr. Michael Kellum


maGazINeS, meDICINe, & miracles34 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 2011

JOy NGObI, mD aNeStHeSIOLOGISt at merCy

HOSPItaL aND trauma CeNter


maGazINeS, meDICINe, & miracles

Preachers are fond of saying, “Make your mess your mission.” In other words, take those

crummy cards you’ve been dealt in life and use them to create something worthy and pleasing to God.

Joy Ngobi, MD, an anesthesiologist at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center and a Janesville resident, has done just that. Dr. Ngobi grew up in Jinja, Uganda, Africa. She and her husband Gideon—a geologist—have lost several siblings, many due to preventable conditions. They now have the burden of supporting their orphaned nieces and nephews but are happy to do it. They have steered clear of the tragedies that have pervaded their home country and consider themselves blessed.

“Many of my siblings died young—too young—and for no good reason,” says Dr. Ngobi. “Three of my college-educated brothers died before age 42 due to HIV or alcoholism. You know, the media reports on the wars, diseases and poor living conditions that plague Africans, but it does not report on the forces of poverty, hopelessness and the lack of education—health education and others—that lead to these tragedies.”

In 2007, Dr. Ngobi and Gideon felt God’s call to use their personal struggles to lay the groundwork for a multi-faceted

mission. They created Hope Institute of Uganda, Inc. (HIU), a nonprofit, faith-based organization formed to provide education, health care, economic opportunities and vocational training for young Ugandan men and women. “Things like education, job training … these are the pillars of hope, and hope is desperately needed in Uganda,” says Dr. Ngobi.

Those who now support HIU here and in Uganda are nothing short of focused and ambitious. In only a few short years, HIU has created many programs and celebrated many miracles, all supported by volunteers and financed through donations and the sale of Jinja Jewelry.

HOPe tHrOuGH eDuCatIONIn Uganda, 50 percent of the population is under age 15. While the Ugandan government provides free elementary education, many students cannot afford the supplies needed to attend. Further,

Joy Ngobi, MD, speaks at FM Light and Life Church in Jinja, Uganda.

A local child eats a treat after giving blood.


many children are orphans and lack the structured home environment that fosters learning, responsibility and aspirations of higher education. Due to these challenges, 75 percent of school-aged children do not attend school—a sad statistic.

To help, HIU has stepped in to provide scholarships, mentoring and encouragement for 24 students in the Jinja area and beyond. Two students have received degrees with the help of HIU scholarships. Ben Waiswa received his law degree from Hope African University in Bujubura, Burundi, and Jude Namugabo graduated from Centanary Community College, a two-year school in Kayunga, Uganda.

As a doctor, Dr. Ngobi knows the value of a good education. “Vocational training is one key to eradicating the poverty and low self-esteem that plague many people in Uganda and Africa at large,” she says. The planned Hope Institute of Uganda Vocational Training Center will become the area’s foundation for supplemental education and practical training in jewelry making, carpentry, brick laying, masonry, metal fabrication and woodworking. “There always exists a good market for these trades,” Dr. Ngobi continues. “And when people possess a viable means of earning a living, they stay off the streets and away from high-risk behaviors and can support their families.”

Items made at HIU’s vocational center will generate income for the Institute. The income will in turn help incoming vocational students meet their tuition expenses.

The Hope Institute of Uganda Resource Center, a facility separate from the vocational training center, is also in the

A local child enjoys a sugar cane treat.

Mercy physician Gregory Denison, MD, performs an ultrasound on a patient.


planning stages. It, too, has lofty goals: Reduce high-risk behaviors, provide career guidance and develop talent in those who have much to share but little means to achieve their goals. Through the resource center, Dr. Ngobi says, “We will equip our young men and women to go out into the world, stand squarely against their circumstances and create hope in coming generations.” Plans for the center include a library and computer lab, sports facility, music and arts center and a convention center that can be leased to raise operating funds.

HOPe tHrOuGH HeaLINGMany of the people of Jinja and surrounding communities have little or no access to medical care. Facilities are limited, medical personnel are stretched thin and money and equipment are always in short supply. Hospital conditions are primitive by U.S. standards. Even the most basic services are often out of reach for most people.

Since 2008, Dr. Ngobi and her medical colleagues have traveled once a year to St. Francis Hospital in nearby Buluba to offer their services, bring medical equipment and train local staff.

In 2008, Dr. Ngobi teamed up with Mercy surgeon Patricia Garner, MD; Mercy radiologist Gregory Denison, MD; and other area physicians, nurses, EMTs and support staff to bring a mission of healing and health care to area residents. Radiologists helped diagnose ailments and taught individuals to use an ultrasound unit the team donated to the community. Surgeons and anesthesiologists performed surgery on 82 patients in five days. EMTs taught life-saving CPR and ACLS skills. Other volunteers held a weeklong Vacation Bible School.

Mercy physicians Patricia Garner, MD, and Joy Ngobi, MD, perform

surgeries at St. Francis Hospital in Buluba, which is near Jinja.


In the past three years, 271 surgery patients have received life-saving care from these medical mission teams.

Dr. Ngobi and her crew are gearing up for their fourth medical mission to Uganda, scheduled for late 2011 or early 2012, depending on airfare costs. Cooperation with Rock County health care providers is the crew’s key to mission success. In the past, Mercy Health System has been a main contributor of supplies, staff and goodwill. The mission team is now forging relationships with Edgerton Hospital and Health Services and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

HIU’s medical missions are truly a community effort. Rock County hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, medical supply companies and many other companies and individuals contributed items to a 40-foot shipping

container, which takes six weeks to ship from the U.S. to Jinja, Uganda. Everything from big-ticket items like exam tables, hospital beds, X-ray machines and anesthesia machines to bed linens, latex gloves, dressings, wheelchairs, medical books, magazines, dictionaries, clothing, Bibles, children’s books and crutches were packed in. It cost $14,000 to ship the container to Africa, so not one square foot went to waste.

JINJa JeWeLryWhen that 40-foot container filled with medical supplies went to Uganda in 2008, hundreds of pounds of glossy magazines—destined to become Jinja Jewelry—went too. “Magazines are the raw materials our jewelry makers transform into paper beads,” says Dr. Ngobi. “These beads, plus things like banana fibers, seeds and stones, are handcrafted into beautiful adornments. We sell those items here

in Rock County and other parts of the country and then use the proceeds to fund our many projects in Uganda.”

“This jewelry, as simple as it seems, plays a big part in building the self-confidence needed to break the chain of poverty,” she continues. “The jewelry group has members who have been displaced by the war in Northern Uganda. Together, more than 40 women and 12 young men are discovering self-sufficiency and the fruits of financial independence for the first time in their lives.”

In Rock County, Jinja Jewelry is sold at the Jinja Jewelry Fair Trade Shop within Plaza Furniture, 55 S. River St., Janesville. Other fair trade items, including hats, scarves, purses and baskets are also sold there. Twenty percent of the profits go to operating costs, while 80 percent go to fund Hope Institute programs, such as:

• Elementary, vocational and college scholarships• HIU Resource Center• HIU Vocational Training Center• Youth conferences• Hospital and medical mission support• Well drilling

A circle of hope, if ever there was one.

tO LearN mOre abOut tHe

mISSIONS OF HOPe INStItute

OF uGaNDa, INC., vISIt

HOPeINStItuteuGaNDa.OrG.

A crew of locals unloads donated medical supplies at St. Francis Hospital in Buluba.


a heart for service:T he teenagers in Craig High

School’s Live United Club don’t just want to talk about doing

volunteer work in their community. They want to be out there. All the time. Making a difference in Rock County, bit by bit. And they want to encourage as many of their peers as possible to join them. The club, which started with just a few kids three years ago, has grown to 54 teenagers this year. Students from all corners of the Janesville high school have been hearing the buzz about the service club and want to see for themselves what it is about. “They’re coming because they want to be part of something big,” says Julie Cunningham, Volunteer Network coordinator for United Way of North Rock County.

liVe uniteD club

connects teens

With their

coMMunity



aPPeaLING tO a yOuNGer CrOWDThe idea for the Live United Club came up four years ago, when the United Way’s brand strategy committee was brainstorming ways to involve younger people in service projects. Barry Badertscher, now vice chairman of the United Way of North Rock County’s board of directors, saw how his son Cy struggled to find service opportunities at his high school. Barry suggested the United Way sponsor a student organization.

He set up a couple of meetings with Craig’s Honor Club and officially launched the Live United Club at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year, meeting with the kids during their lunch hour once a month. “I made sure I bought the kids lunch every time we met,” Barry says. “They’re high school students. They get hungry. And pizza is a good way to get them to show up.”

With Julie’s connections and help, the club began participating in an average of two service projects per month. Little

by little, the group grew. In fall of 2010, the club’s student leaders walked into their first meeting of the year expecting 20 or 30 kids, but were instead greeted by a roomful of more than 50 eager, would-be volunteers. “I had to make two extra pizza runs,” Barry says.

makING CONNeCtIONSWhat keeps the Live United kids coming back is the variety and depth of their service projects. One of their favorites is G.I.F.T.S. (God is Faithful Temporary Shelter), a Janesville men’s homeless shelter that floats from church to church. The teenagers help serve meals and keep the men company. “We make it really personal,” says Craig senior Bailie Whittaker. “We talk to them about everything. Sometimes, the church has had to kick us out at 10 p.m. because we’ve lost track of time talking to the men.”

Another favorite project is the Big Brothers Big Sisters Lunch Buddies program, during which volunteers have lunch with an at-risk child once a week during the school year. The Live United Club can’t commit to lunch once a week, but the kids do occasionally spend their lunch hour with classes of kids at neighboring elementary schools.

During one recent Lunch Buddies outing, Cy was matched up with a little boy whose father had recently gone back to prison. It took some time for the boy to warm up to Cy, but by the end of the lunch period, he was participating in activities with the rest of the elementary and high school kids. “Teachers told us this was the first time that little boy had smiled at school in weeks,” Cunningham says.

CraigHighSchoolseniorCyBadertschershootshoopswithkidsattheYWCA.


for more informaTion abouT The volunTeer neTwork, visiT uniTedwayjanesville.org/ or call (608) 757-3040.

The group has worked with kids at the YWCA, walked and talked with needy families as they gathered items for their own Thanksgiving baskets, and spent time with families at the House of Mercy Homeless Center. The teenagers say they have noticed that ever since General Motors began eliminating jobs and shutting down plants in Janesville, there has been more and more poverty in the community. That has created a huge need for groups like Live United that want to make a difference in others’ lives.

rOOm FOr GrOWtHBarry’s goal is to expand the Live United Club to other high schools in the area.

“NOtHING FOrmuLateS a FrIeNDSHIP mOre tHaN GettING tOGetHer ON a PrOJeCt,” He SayS.

The club members want to make sure Live United continues to grow and thrive at Craig. Faculty advisor Joe Line keeps track of each student’s volunteer hours on a grid that’s visible at each meeting, so kids can see who has the most hours when they sign in. The teenagers who have the most volunteer hours are first in line to eat pizza.

Systems like this are helping Live United become one of the more popular clubs at Craig. And the club’s most active members couldn’t be more thrilled. “Everyone has his or her opinion of teenagers,” says Bailie. “But I think we’re really making those opinions positive.”

uniTed way VolunTeer neTwork;The Live United Club is just one example of how the United Way of North Rock County’s Volunteer Network connects youth and adults with non-profit agencies who need help. The Network partners with agencies who have identified a community need and works to help them find volunteers.

Fromleft,CraigHighSchoolseniorandLiveUnitedClubfounderCy Badertscher, faculty advisor Joe Line andUnited Way Volunteer Network coordinator Julie Cunninghamhave workedhardtobuildtheLiveUnitedClubatCraigHighSchoolinJanesville.

42 Great People. Great Stories. | spring 201142 Great People. Great Stories | spring 2011

great age


At every Janesville Area Retired Educators Association event, organizers take a moment

to recognize the oldest attendee. The honoree is always the same person— 98-year-old Mildred “Midge” Rye, who taught in Rock County for 45 years. Midge’s family members say she has often been frustrated that she doesn’t have any peers to keep her company. But other members of the association are thrilled to have her around because the former one-room schoolhouse teacher carries with her a rich history of education in Rock County.

“My mother has always been a pioneer, a toughie,” says her son, John Lippens. “Even on her first day of teaching, she probably wasn’t nervous at all. She wasn’t afraid to jump into anything.”Now a resident at St. Elizabeth’s Nursing Home in Janesville, Midge is still as tough, sharp and ready to go as she ever was.

aN earLy Start tO a LONG CareerBorn in 1912 in Plymouth Township, Midge breezed through school and graduated from high school right before she turned 16. She attended Rock County Rural Normal School in Janesville and earned her teaching degree in one year. She landed a teaching job right away at Grove School, a one-room schoolhouse in Newark Township located just west of Janesville. Midge

started teaching in September 1929 when she was 17, earning $90 a month for an eight-month school year.

Her grandfather let her drive his Model A, 4-door Ford Sedan to the school, which was about three miles away from where her parents lived. One night, she says, she turned the car onto the newly paved Highway 13. The shoulder was low and as she turned, she went off the right edge of the road and tipped the car over. “As I crawled out of the window on the driver’s side of the car, my neighbors Delbert and Red Laird came running up from their barn,” she says. “To say the least I was embarrassed! Red always laughed when he saw me, saying that was the funniest sight he had ever seen.”

Midge had just five students in her first classroom—one 8th-grader, one 6th-grader, one 2nd-grader and two 5-year-olds. While she worked individually with one student, the other children would work quietly on their lessons. “It was nice being in a one-room

schoolhouse,” says John, who was once a student in such a school himself. “By the time you got to a certain grade, you already had the background of what you were working on from listening to the teacher work with the older kids.”The classroom was heated by a coal stove, which Midge started on Sunday afternoon and kept going all week by herself. She was usually able to drive to school on her own—first with her grandpa’s car and then with her own car, a new black Chevrolet. If she got caught in a blizzard, she sought shelter at the nearest farm home.

an educaTor remembers:

LIFe IN a ONe-rOOm SCHOOLHOuSe


Top, one of the one-room schoolhouses

in which Midge Rye taught.

Above, Midge poses with one of

her classes of students.


Crest School, a new school west of Janesville that consolidated many of the one-room schoolhouses in the area.

Throughout many life-changing events—the death of her husband in 1962, her remarriage to George Rye in 1965 and the death of both her parents around that time—one thing remained constant: her dedication to the classroom.

“SHe’S NOt ONe tO DWeLL ON SOmetHING NeGatIve,” SayS Her SON JOHN. “SHe HaD aLWayS aSPIreD tO be a teaCHer, aND WHeN SHe WaNtS tO DO SOmetHING, SHe WaNtS tO DO It tHe beSt SHe CaN.”

Even after years of being a teacher, Midge was determined to continue her education. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1953, and earned her master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1968 at age 56. “She ended up retiring just six years later, but she wasn’t going for her master’s for the money,” says John. “She just wanted to show people she could do it.”

These days, it’s a little harder for Midge to recall dates and events from her past and hear everything other people say. But John says she still has her same spirit of perseverance. “She does not give in,” he says. “That’s not her nature. At her age, it is often a challenge just to keep moving every day. But she does it. I think it’s a tribute to humanity to be able to think that way.”

Though Midge’s first years teaching were during the Depression, she was just grateful to have a job. Her salary eventually dropped to $70 a month, but she was young and enjoyed the social life in Rock County—dances, sledding parties, softball leagues and free movies outdoors. “Social life, especially during the Depression years, was great,” she says. “All entertainment was healthy and fun. I wouldn’t trade all that for a week in Acapulco or Hawaii.”

a LIFeLONG eDuCatOrMidge taught at several schools in Rock County throughout the 1930s and early 1940s, but when Americans were asked to help out with the war effort in 1942, she answered the call. She attended the Army Corps training school for civilian instructors at St. Louis University and was a civilian radio mechanics instructor at Truax Field—an Army Air Forces field near Madison, Wis.—until 1945.

She married Andrew Lippens in 1945 at the age of 33—“I was an old maid,” she says with a grin—and had two sons with him, John and Michael. Even after having children, however, Midge continued teaching. In 1956, she became teaching principal of Hill

Midge Rye and her son John Lippens fondly

remember life in a one-room schoolhouse.


14 2011 Charity Ball to benefit the House of Mercy Homeless Center, 5 p.m. to midnight Janesville Country Club. For tickets, call (608) 741-2422.

14 EvansvillE Community PartnErshiP Chili Cook-off Creekside Place, Evansville

19 forward JanEsvillE BusinEss aftEr 5, 5-7 p.m. Mercy Clinic East, Janesville

19 mErCy hEalth systEm sEnior ConnECtion Bus triP “thE king and i” at the Theatre Building in Chicago. For tickets call (608) 756-6100.

21 JanEsvillE farmEr’s markEt BEgins, running Saturdays through October, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in downtown on Main Street.

june4 Big rEd’s BaCkyard Bash, supporting the Wounded

Warrior Project, Geneo’s Wild Ride

Saloon, Evansville

4-5 swaP mEEt & traCtor Pull, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thresherman’s

Park on Highway 51 in Fulton Township

aprilMarch 31-april 2, april 8-10 thEatrE unlimitEd PrEsEnts “mamE”All showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. at the Janesville Performing ArtsCenter. Tickets are $12 for all seats. Call (608) 758-0297 for tickets.

9-10 safEsittEr Program, a program teaching 11-13-year-olds the responsibilities of caring for young children, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center, Mercy Campus Henry Palmer Building. To register call (630) 756-6100.

16 sPring fling, 10 a.m. to noon, Edgerton Public Library.

28 forward JanEsvillE BusinEss aftEr 5, 5-7 p.m. KANDU, 1227 Barberry Drive, Janesville

28-May 7 BEloit CiviC thEatEr’s ProduCtion of “dEathtraP”at Beloit Memorial High School. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on April 28, 29 and 30 and May 5, 6 and 7; and at 3 p.m. on April 30 and May 7. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors 60 and older. Call (608) 362-1595 for reservations or more information.

30 danCing with thE stars, 7 p.m. Janesville Performing Arts Center. Benefits the Alzheimer’s Support Center of Rock County. To reserve tickets, call (608) 758-0297.

may7 mothEr’s day tEa and fashion show, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Helen Jeffris Wood Museum Center, Janesville

calendar of evenTs


14 JoE roBErts and thE Country ClassiCs Band, 7 p.m. Lower Courthouse Park, Janesville

16 forward JanEsvillE BusinEss aftEr 5, 5-7 p.m. River Title, Janesville

18 voluntEEr work day, 8 a.m. to noon Rotary Botanical Gardens, Janesville

21 turtlE CrEEk ramBlErs, 7 p.m. Lower Courthouse Park, Janesville

24 forward JanEsvillE 10th annual golf outing Janesville Country Club

25 frEEdom fEst, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. New Life Assembly of God, Janesville

28 BEl-Cats, 7 p.m. Lower

Courthouse Park, Janesville

If you would like us to include your calendar listing in our next issue, please e-mail us [email protected]

stridE for hEalth mall walkErsMeets the 2nd Tuesday of the month at 8:15 a.m., Janesville Mall

Bits and BitEs (Senior program)

Meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 1:30-2:30 p.m.,Janesville Senior Center.Call (608) 756-6100 to register.

sElf dEfEnsE April 19, 5-7 p.m.Cost $5Call (608) 756-6100 to register.

hEalthy imagE wEight managEmEnt ProgramDr. Vern Partello offers personalized care including nutrition, exercise and lifestyle assessment.• 1st Friday of the month at 8:30 a.m. Mercy Health Mall, Janesville• 3rd Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. Mercy Edgerton Medical Center Call (608) 884-9431 to register for the seminars.

FREE Blood PREssuRE scREEningsMonday – Friday; 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.Mercy Brodhead Medical Center2310 First Center Ave.

Monday – Friday; 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.Mercy Clinic South849 Kellogg Ave., Janesville

Monday – Thursday; 8:15 a.m. –5 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. – noonMercy Evansville Medical Center300 Union St.

Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.Mercy Milton Medical Center725 S. Janesville St.

FREE Blood glucosE and Blood PREssuRE scREEnings1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month9:30-11:30 a.m.Mercy Health Mall1010 N. Washington St., Janesville

Blood cholEstERolMonday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.Mercy Clinic South849 Kellogg Ave., JanesvilleCost $5

FREE sEnioR sERiEsTopic: Healthcare reform and all your insurance questions answered. Continental breakfast will be served.

Gathering PlaceMay 26, 8:30 amMilton WI

Evansville Senior CenterApril 14, 10 am320 Fair St., Evansville

Beloit Senior CenterMay 12, 10 am631 Bluff St., Beloit

Call (608) 756-6100 to register for any of the senior series event.

To find a listing of support groups, prenatal classes, events and other screenings, please visit mercyhealthsystem.org/classes.

Mercy healTh sysTeM onGoinG classes and groups


MERCY ACCELERATION557 N. WASHINGTON ST., JANESVILLE

608.743.2757

MercyHea l thSys t em.org/Acce le ra t ion

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We will do everything we can to help you stay healthy

and touch lives as long as possible.

Here’s to parents who wait up nervously for their daughters,

and to grandpas who read storybooks to their grandsons.

Here’s to the shy kid in class,

and to the outgoing kid who says “hi” first.

Here’s to everyone who knows they matter to someone.

You bring joy, hope and inspiration to life

in Rock County. Thank you.

spring 2011 - home - great people. great...

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