Life and Work with Katie Sullivan Poppert

Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Sullivan Poppert.

Katie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have been an oncology nurse for 15 years with a focus on hematologic malignancies (blood cancers). My career began like so many other nurses, working 12 hour bedside night shifts, which enabled me to remain a large part of my 4 kids’ day to day lives while they were young.

Soon after transitioning to days, my best friend Christy was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and though I’d always worked hard to go above and beyond for my patients, it was her diagnosis that drove me to look outside of the hospital walls for more ways to help.

It began with a community I formed to gather patients to participate in fun events together while raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society called The Craic Addicts; Fighting Cancer with Laughter. The community grew from just a few patients to dozens of caregivers, survivors, hospital staff, friends and family. Not only would we gather for events but we made and distributed hand-sewn pillowcases and holiday bags to those fighting on the inside, earning me the Nurse Nightingale Luminary Award for Patient Advocacy in 2011.

I also began to volunteer for the Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHS), educating people on the importance of signing up to the national bone marrow registry to be a possible match for someone needing a lifesaving bone marrow transplant at rock concerts and music festivals. I was soon offered a full-time position with LHS so I left the hospital floors and used my nursing skills on a much different platform.

Through my two years with LHS, I met a musician, Andrew McMahon, who is a leukemia/bone marrow transplant survivor with his own foundation called Dear Jack, and I took another leap of faith and helped Andrew start up new programs for adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, establishing my own LifeList ideas from the bedside to bring those over 18 the ability to fulfill wishes during their difficult journeys.

Recently, I made the decision to return to direct patient care with UCHealth and though I was thrilled to be back on the front lines, with the arsenal of connections and ideas for providing additional assistance I’d developed I was determined to find new ways to make a difference.

In March of this year, I launched the Small Choices Foundation, a culmination of what I’ve learned about how to best meet some unmet needs of both patients AND caregivers and bring some light into those extended hospital stays. When someone is admitted to the hospital, nearly all of their choices are taken from them, leaving them feeling powerless and alone. The mission of Small Choices is to give both patients and caregivers the gift of choice in allowing them to build their own survival kits by choosing comfort items hand-selected from others who spent weeks themselves in hospital rooms that will make the daunting stay away from home a bit brighter.

Their survival kits also include items invented and handcrafted by our volunteers including hot packs, bright pillowcases, and ‘blockets’, ingenious slipcovers for both the bed and chair that will keep phones, bed controls, car keys etc from getting lost. We have funds set aside to bring in treats, celebrate victories, and give a little extra love on those difficult days, and we will ensure those in our tribe who are inpatient over the holidays not only get gifts themselves but have funds available to treat their loved ones at home.

In addition, we will host gatherings a few times a year where they can meet others on a similar path.

Made up entirely of volunteers, the foundation has the dual effect of helping those newly diagnosed as well as
those survivors and caregivers who find so much healing in using their experiences to help others.

I have been so very blessed to be able to use my insights as a bedside nurse and a patient advocate to continue to make the cancer journey a little brighter, and I’m driven every day to find new ways to ensure those in the fight of their life, FOR their life, know that they are not alone.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road, as change is always daunting. Going from a place of comfort and familiarity into a whole new realm was both difficult and exciting, but taking the risk and embracing the challenge is always worth it, even when it doesn’t work out. The growth you will have not only professionally but personally makes the steep learning curves and new challenges valuable assets in your overall development.

We really only have control of two things on this journey, where we spend our time and attention. Balancing family and work is an ongoing struggle but I’ve learned to include my family in many of the patient projects I’ve done, having them volunteer and attend a variety of events that has not only allowed me to spend more time with them but has exposed them to the resiliency and strength displayed during a cancer battle.

When you find a job or create a space that involves what you’re passionate about, you find yourself looking forward to the difference you can make each day.

Please tell us about Small Choices Foundation.
The Small Choices Foundation was established with the focus on including both the cancer patient and the caregiver during difficult extended inpatient hospital stays.

As the founder and CEO, my role is to obtain referrals from local hospitals for those patients experiencing a relapse and/or stressful emotional or financial burdens during their treatment. I then meet the patient/ primary caregiver team and discuss ways we can best help them. Often, the teams are spouses with kids at home, or independent young adults needing to have a parent care for them.

The goal is to ensure both patient and caregiver have access to items of their choosing that will ease the day to day burden, including gift cards, massage and yoga sessions, kindles, warm blankets and the ability to add their own unique item to the shopping cart.

In addition, all of our staff and board members are volunteers, and all have been directly affected by a cancer diagnosis. Having the opportunity to give back and help others through their experiences is truly healing.

Who have you been inspired by?
My mom is my biggest inspiration. She has worked full time as a nurse as well and was a great example to me of balancing a fulfilling career with raising a family. She has also never stopped learning, and after working in the ICU and Cardiovascular unit, went on to become a Flight Nurse in her 40’s followed by obtaining a master’s NP in her 50’s.

She approaches life with the perfect balance of humor and love and I have yet to meet someone in her world that doesn’t immediately gush ‘your mom’s the best!’

Contact Info:

• Address: 735 Olive St
  Denver, CO 80220
• Website: www.smallchoicesfoundation.org
• Phone: 720-530-2752
• Email: kate@smallchoicesfoundation.org
• Instagram: @smallchoicesfoundation
• Facebook: @small choices foundation

Image Credit:
amkxphotography

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