Demetrius Sims and his parents, Willie and Cynthia (not pictured), have been staying at Kathy’s House longer than most families. They are facing an uncommon diagnosis for our guest population: sickle cell disease.

The family hails from Racine, but Demetrius was a student in Madison when he was admitted to a study in Milwaukee that required daily monitoring. His social worker told him about Kathy’s House. “They told us it would be a lot easier to stay at Kathy’s House, where it’s just across the street. You don’t have to waste gas. All you have to do is walk.”

They arrived in the middle of July, and their stay has extended so long that Demetrius had to put school on hold. Despite that frustration, he describes his experience in a positive light. “It’s been really good. I like it here,” Demetrius says. “I also think that the people working here and volunteering here show you that Kathy’s House cares about the people that stay here.”

As for what the community should know about Kathy’s House, Demetrius has some advice. “If anyone is interested in either donating or volunteering, or just giving supplies to Kathy’s House, I would definitely say that they should do it. I would highly recommend it. You guys need all the help you can get from everyone, everywhere.”