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Kristin Ciganek

Diagnosis: Colorectal Cancer

Kristin Ciganek grew up in Milwaukee, the second of eight kids – two boys and six girls. She went to Madison High School on the city’s northwest side, and graduated with a bachelor of science degree from the University of Wisconsin?Green Bay, in psychology and human development. 

“I always knew that I didn’t want a typical job,” Kristin says. “I’m very athletic and wanted to find something challenging. I always knew I liked helping people, and being a firefighter fit all my criteria.”  

So she took a job with the Milwaukee Fire Department – and spent 13 years as a firefighter and two as a lieutenant, until a cancer diagnosis stopped her short in 2012. 

She’s married to Bryon Schroeder, and they have three kids – Josh was born in 2000, Ty in 2002 and Samantha in 2006. 

In late 2017, Kristin unfortunately passed away. Her sister, Sandy, wrote a tribute post  in her honor:

Her story was told in a Froedtert Today and in a WITI?TV, Channel 6, news report.