Wellstar Kennestone Hospital nurse Lisa Vogel was with her young cancer patient when he experienced the joy of visiting Disney World and when his mother found peace of mind by seeing him baptized.
“Lisa is an amazing nurse, woman, and friend,” said co-worker and longtime friend Mary Lutzenkirchen. “She is especially passionate about the pediatric community and has dedicated her life to carrying for little ones and their families.”
Vogel, a 60-year-old married mother of three and grandmother of four, has been involved for nearly four years with Bert’s Big Adventure. The non-profit established by Atlanta radio’s The Bert Show gives once-in-a-lifetime, all-expenses-paid trips to Disney World to chronically ill and terminally ill patients.
Vogel made her first Disney trip in 2017. She went as a volunteer nurse, and one of her assignments was to convince a young boy named L.J. to take his chemo pills with breakfast when there was no sweet tea to wash them down.
She coaxed him to take the medicine with hot tea, converted to sweet tea with plenty of ice and sugar. The two were bonded.
Later, when Vogel learned of L.J.’s mother’s desire to have him baptized before he died, she helped make that happen. She was in attendance when he was baptized poolside at the hotel where his parents were staying.
“She went over and above … to ensure spiritual health and healing for this child and his entire family,” Lutzenkirchen said. “The world needs more nurses like Lisa who totally care for their patients’ needs – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.”
Vogel said it’s not hard for her to stay motivated.
“I take care of my patients like I would want someone to take care of my family member,” she said. “I am a person who enjoys taking care of others, giving more than receiving.”
Vogel has a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from the University of Kentucky and an associate degree in nursing from Tarrant County Junior College in Fort Worth, Tex.
She’s been a nurse for 34 years and continues to work at Wellstar Kennestone, even though her family moved more than three years ago from Marietta to Lake Hartwell in Townville, S.C. She also works part-time at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Greenville, S.C.
“Pediatrics has always been where my passion lies,” Vogel said.
In her current position with Kennestone’s outpatient surgery center, Vogel said she’s paired with “the most caring, dedicated, smart women and men I have ever worked with.”
“Hence, why I continue to make the commute,” she said.
Vogel takes full advantage of life on the lake, enjoying biking and hiking, as well as cross-stitching and spending time with her grandchildren.
