Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Partners with Versiti for “Stage for Life” Blood Drive
David Lewellen
PUBLISHED
Tagged Under: Bradley Symphony Center, Community Engagement
Dr. Mary Ferguson’s 18-year journey with a blood disorder has made her acutely aware of the importance of blood donation. When the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra co-hosts a blood drive at the Bradley Symphony Center with Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin, it will be something of a full-circle moment.
Mary, the wife of MSO assistant principal trombone Kirk Ferguson, suffered a stroke at age 27 and was diagnosed with antiphospholipid antibody disorder, a rare auto-immune condition that makes her vulnerable to lots of miniature blood clots.
In 2017, just minutes before Kirk went onstage to play an MSO concert, he got a call that Mary had suffered a seizure. He played until intermission, then left for the hospital. Second bassoon Rudi Heinrich was able to cover Kirk’s part, as well as his own, for the Shostakovich symphony on the second half of the concert.
Following that crisis, Mary began seeing hematologist Dr. Lisa Baumann Kreuziger, who holds a dual appointment with Versiti and the Medical College of Wisconsin. In the Froedtert-MCW system, “they were more comfortable dealing with blood disorders,” Mary said. “I wasn’t the smartest person in the room anymore,” and she was grateful for the expertise.
In 2019, Mary suffered a worse seizure that landed her in the hospital for 19 days with micro-blood clots in multiple internal organs. Dr. Baumann Kreuziger “swooped in and saved the day,” Kirk remembers. In Mary’s condition, plasma carries the clotting factor, and she underwent three complete plasma transfusions during her stay.
Mary’s treatment and recovery left the couple with a renewed appreciation of the importance of blood donation and the work of Versiti, which combines research, clinical practice, and blood distribution for southeastern Wisconsin.
“We focus on all things related to blood health,” said Kristin Paltzer, Versiti’s senior manager of public relations. The nonprofit is currently building a major expansion of its facilities in the Milwaukee Regional Medical Complex, and it maintains 11 permanent donation sites across the region as well as hosting mobile blood drives with community partners throughout Wisconsin.
The Bradley Symphony Center event is part of Versiti’s new Stage for Life program, working in collaboration with Milwaukee arts groups to raise awareness of both blood donation and the arts. “The arts are a lifeblood. Like blood donation and other humanitarian efforts, the arts unite and strengthen us by fostering a sense of community and shared purpose,” Paltzer said.
The blood drive will be Aug. 12 in the Ellen & Joe Checota Gallery of the Bradley Symphony Center from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Donors will get a voucher for a buy-one-get-one-free ticket offer to any MSO concert this season.
Coincidentally, Kelley McCaskill, the MSO’s new vice president of advancement, spent seven years in a similar position at Versiti before coming to work at the Bradley Symphony Center. “We want to make sure everyone feels comfortable in this space,” she said. “If they see this beautiful historic building and feel like they belong, they may buy a ticket or engage with the symphony differently.”
Both the MSO and Versiti hope that the blood drive will be repeated on a regular basis. “The most important thing is to be a good community partner,” McCaskill said. “Summer is a challenging time to collect blood donations, and it’s an opportunity to raise awareness within our own network.”
In 2024, Mary Ferguson received the Versiti Imagine Award for thriving while living with a blood disorder. Mary, a clinical psychologist, went into practice on her own two years ago, and among her areas of specialty are chronic pain and disability. When it feels appropriate, she shares her own history with her clients. “It’s helpful to speak from a position of personal understanding,” she said.
“I’m lucky to have a family-friendly employer in the MSO,” Kirk said. “The support from [executive director] Mark Niehaus and my colleagues was terrific.” Looking back on the ordeal, he said, “It changed how Mary and I spend time and what we prioritize. It reminded us of the impermanence and fragility of life.”
