News

Janette Platter is the community chaplain at Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place, a vibrant senior living community just steps from the Country Club Plaza. But in early 2025, she was just another mom seeking the very best care for her child. Fortunately, she knew it wasn’t too far away.

Kirsti Millar, a 35-year-old of Kansas City, was 23 weeks pregnant with her second child in early 2023 when her water suddenly broke. What should have been a season of joy and anticipation became a medical emergency.

Dana Boucher found relief with LUTATHERA, a targeted radioactive therapy specifically for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) found in the gut or pancreas.

What should have been a dream getaway became a nightmare when a car accident forced Kelsey O’Connor and her friend off the road and into emergency care in a foreign country.

In 2023, an emergency colonoscopy led to Michael's diagnosis of stage 3 cancer. Because of his experience, Michael Kathrens, 70, advocates for proactive health screenings and being an advocate for your own health.

Nellie Jo Gaston received a lifesaving surgery after an abnormal result from an at-home colon cancer screening test. After treatment at Saint Luke’s, she is cancer-free.

Weeks shy of the bar exam, the trajectory of Jackson’s life was rocked off course when he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. The 26-year-old’s diagnosis was an obstacle that he refused to let topple him.

Matthew Wilkinson, MD, a surgeon with Saint Luke’s kidney and liver transplant program, and Erica Sparks, a transplant coordinator with Saint Luke's, discuss the transplant process and importance of organ donation.

While thousands linger on organ waiting lists, the national transplant network is ditching 40-year-old systems and struggling to remake itself. The Beacon talked with local health leaders about the state of organ transplantation today.

Anthony Weatherspoon, who received lifesaving heart and kidney transplants, is grateful for the gift of life this April.