Katie Fund

The Children's Hospital, Denver, CO
Social Work Department for Oncology
1.720.777.1700

History and General Information

Catherine Rose
"Katie"
August 13, 1982 - August 10, 1987

I am sure that all of you have questions as to why I am setting up a web page. So here are some of the answers.

In October 1985 my daughter Catherine Rose was diagnosed with Leukemia (ALL). She was 3 years old at the time.. As time went on she went into remission and there were many hospital stays. The Children’s Hospital in Denver made it as easy on us as they possibly could. We brought our dog Tigger in and he stayed in the room with Katie and I. They only had 2 VCR’s for over 10 rooms. We use to come to Children's with a wagon load of things to do and movies to watch. I knew every one and Katie felt very at home there. The nurses and doctors were the best, and really cared about how Katie was doing. It became a home away from home for us. In January of 1987 our world came crashing down when Katie relapsed. We tried everything and went on experimental treatments, we were headed for Bone marrow transplant, when she relapsed again, and we were told that there was nothing more that could be done.

Children's helped me again by helping me to set up treatment, blood transfusions and care in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. So that we could be closer to family and to be able to spend what time we had left together. We flew home 4 days before she died in August of 1987, She missed her 5^th Birthday by 3 days.

Katie loved to have fun. I mean she really loved to have fun, she would spend hours thinking of great things to do. She was a most energetic child, and always wanted to ride her 2 wheeler which she had just learned how to ride. She loved to paint and play. I can still picture her riding her IV pole down the halls through Children's. We use to walk Tigger out side and she would hold the leash while I pushed the pole. Nurses took us out to lunch and we could walk so that pole came everywhere. She loved school and was enrolled in preschool and had wonderful friends there also. She loved Madonna and Betty Gable movies.

Make-A-Wish sent us to California so that she could meet Madonna. My husband and I were very fortunate that my parents had the economic resources to help defray some of cost of Katie's treatment. Most families affected by childhood cancer and other serious children's diseases are not as fortunate. A donation to the fund could bring a ray of sunshine into an otherwise dismal or even hopeless situation. So after Katie died we set up the Katie Fund and with the generous support of Family and friends the fund has been operating since 1987. It is run through the clinical social work department of The Children’s Hospital as I felt that the social workers would know the greatest need. It is not used for research. It is to be used for fun.

The Fund has helped a lot of kids with books, prom dresses, puppies, flowers, whatever it will take to put a smile back on a child's face. So now I am asking you to help by purchasing the designs that some wonderful digitizers have donated for this purpose. I would like you to make the check payable to The Children's Hospital, it will be tax deductible. So I find this to be a win win situation.

Thanks for all your support.

Liz Rademacher

If you wish to submit a digitized design to be used for this charity, please contact Katiefund@gmail.com

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