Stories that Touch your Heart Barb Volbrecht, Podcaster and audio storyteller

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/