John Radtke and Family

Hi - my name is Mary Ellen Taylor, a friend of the family. I am coordinating this fundraiser for John Radtke and his family to help cover medical expenses from a strep bacterial infection he contracted in September 2022. John, his wife Cindy, Jessica their daughter, and her husband Joshua, are fifth-generation owners of the Bon Ton Bakery in Jefferson, Wisconsin.

The infection developed into septic shock, sending John to the UW Hospital in Madison. The infection caused kidney failure, heart attack, and damage to his arthritic hands and both of his prosthetic knees. John spent over three weeks recovering at the UW in the ICU and trauma center. Due to the severe damage to the bone and soft tissue of his left leg, there was the possibility of having to amputate that leg. Thankfully, that wasn’t needed. He was then transferred to a rehab center in Waterford. While there he continued to recover and start rehabilitation for his hands, knees and overall strength. For the last four and a half months, John has been a resident at the Village of Middleton, known as the Villa Rehab Center. After the assessment of his injuries, John was given almost no chance of ever walking again. While drawing strength from family, friends and others, he has proven them wrong! With his persistence and determination, he is now walking and gaining back his mobility. Many of you may have seen his videos on Facebook from his first few steps to walking across the rehab gym with assistance. Even though in three weeks he went from shuffling 4 steps to walking over 245 feet with the help of parallel bars, he still has a long recovery ahead of him. Unfortunately, John’s insurance ran dry in mid-December, leaving them with nearly $40,000 in unpaid medical bills. To date, monthly payments have been made on the balance, but the demand for more isn’t able to be met. On Monday, March 20, rehab was cut and the family was asked to make arrangements for discharge. John’s next move will be to a long-term care rehab facility in the area. He will need to have a great deal more therapy to regain overall upper body strength to master everyday activities such as dressing, bathing, and moving around unassisted.

On a personal note - Over the decades, we have all experienced or seen the generosity of Bon Ton, either personally or in the community. Maybe we can help them now in some small way.

A message from John and Cindy - “Dear family, friends, customers, and classmates of ‘77, who have supported us, and encouraged us; you have shown us what true friendship and love for one another is all about. Thank you!”