A Widow’s Gift, a Lasting Impact

In 2016, Kristen Kirlew became a widow after her husband, Ryan Ricker, passed away following a hard-fought battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a blood and bone marrow cancer.

But amid grief, Kristen found something unexpected: gratitude. Her gratitude – for the care, compassion and medical expertise shown throughout Ryan’s illness – has since grown into something lasting and life-changing for patients and families facing similar experiences.

Kristen Kirlew’s husband, Ryan Ricker, was cared for by Joseph McGuirk, DO, division director of hematologic malignancies and cellular therapeutics (HMCT) at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, the region’s largest and most comprehensive center for HMCT. Witnessing firsthand the level of care Dr. McGuirk and his care team provided left a lasting impression on Kristen.

“There was nothing that was going to stop them from getting him treatment. Even as we realized it was going to get trickier to treat, they never gave up on us,” Kristen emphasized.

That level of care and determination, combined with access to treatments that were among the first of their kind globally, made all the difference for their family. Following Ryan’s passing, Kristen and her family began giving back to the health system to honor his memory and the extraordinary care they experienced. When the opportunity arose to support a new facility dedicated to cancer care and research, Kristen didn’t hesitate.

Last year, construction started on a world-class patient care and cancer research building that will be a global-destination cancer center. Kristen made a generous contribution to support the innovative new cancer building – an investment that will help shape the quality of care and options available for patients and families for years to come.

What resonated most with her about the new cancer facility was the opportunity to further advance the groundbreaking treatment her husband once received. During Ryan’s treatment, he received a therapy that, at the time, was among the first of its kind. Building upon the cancer center’s strong foundation within HMCT, the new facility will expand access to these lifesaving cellular therapies and strengthen research in the field. This connection made supporting the new cancer building a natural and deeply meaningful decision.

The new building will bring patient care and leading-edge research together, allowing clinicians and scientists to work side by side to accelerate discoveries and improve the future of cancer care.

It's a model that deeply resonated with Kristen, who saw firsthand how both innovation in medicine and excellence in patient care shaped Ryan's experience. She hopes this model will lead to even more breakthroughs for future patients.

“Kristen is helping transform the future of cancer treatment,” said Jeanne Hansey, development director of individual giving at The University of Kansas Health System. “By honoring Ryan through this gift, she’s turning her family’s experience into a lasting legacy of hope and progress, while helping countless other families.”

Gifts from our supporters make a vital impact on exceptional healthcare and medical research at The University of Kansas Cancer Center – the region’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. Please reach out to us by email, or contact one of our gift officers to learn more about how you can make a contribution.