At age 28, newly married and on top of the world, Bob Kiesendahl was stunned to receive a diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia.
A year later, in 1999, he required a bone marrow transplant. After tests failed to find a suitable donor within his family, Bob turned to the registry of the National Bone Marrow Program and within a few months found a match. Bob spent four months undergoing arduous treatment and recovery supported by his wife Jen, his mother Joan and other family members.
Grateful for his loving family and superb care, Bob decided to help others afflicted with cancer. He created the BK Hope Cures Foundation to support cancer research and patient care. Using the resources of their family business, a four-season resort in the Poconos Mountains, Bob and Joan, a breast cancer survivor, hold annual fund-raisers such as golf, motorcycle and running events that have raised more than $520,000 over the last decade.
