Kathleen Fleiszar
Kathleen earned her B.S. in Biology from Loyola University in 1969 and her Ph.D. in Human Genetics from the University of Illinois in 1976. Moving to Georgia after graduation, she joined the faculty of Kennesaw State University (KSU), then Kennesaw College. During her 30 years on the faculty at KSU, she focused her attention on the field of Medical Genetics, becoming Board Certified by the American College of Medical Genetics in 1984. During her tenure at the university, she founded a consulting firm, Medical Genetics, and worked as a consultant to several diagnostic labs. During this time, she established membership in the American Society of Human Genetics and the National Society of Genetic Counselors. Fleiszar became Professor Emerita at KSU in 2003.
Since 1996, she has volunteered for Wellstar Community Hospice and served on their Board of Advisors. In 2001, Dr. Fleiszar became a volunteer with “Fun Night!” the disabilities ministries at her parish, as well as served on the Archdiocese of Atlanta Disabilities Board. She is also a member of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, the Kennesaw Business Association, North Cobb Rotary, North Cobb Civitan, and the Cobb Collaborative.
Dr. Fleiszar first heard about a care home providing respite and palliative care for pediatric patients from a 2018 Phoenix newspaper article. At the time, there were only two homes in the United States. After learning that there were no similar homes in the southeast, she worked to form a team to establish Life House Atlanta Children’s Respite, Inc. in Georgia. She currently serves as its acting Executive Director.
Kathleen’s passion for supporting families with children who have life-limiting illnesses comes from a deep understanding and breadth of experience in the world of grief and loss.“The value of adult respite and hospice care organizations is understood by the public. There is, however, little awareness of the lack of respite for pediatric patients with life-limiting illnesses and their families. There are no such support homes in Georgia. My goal is to change that and provide a place for their children to spend time in a safe and caring environment and an opportunity for families to recharge on a vacation getaway.”