THE KSN DREAM HOUSE FOR THE CURE

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Why one family supports KSN's Dream House

by Anita Cochran
KSN News

WICHITA, Kansas -- When KSN's Dream House for the Cure started taking shape, we knew the success of the project would largely depend on who was chosen to build the home. Not only did we find the perfect builder, but Neis Homes had the perfect reason to say yes.

Clifford and Joan Nies started building the Neis Home name 35 years ago. Today, they are still active in all that goes on there, but much of the day-to-day decisions are now made by their daughter, Cheri Nies-Cowgill.

"Originally he was a little concerned because I am woman and construction is a very male-dominated industry and he was afraid I'd have a problem with that," said Cheri. "He really hoped I'd been a boy. He had a boy's name picked out."

They laugh about it now because the woman Cherie became fit the family legacy to a tee.

"Eventually it has turned out to be a blessing because, I think, the decision to buy a home is made by the woman -- 95% to 98% of that decision is made by the woman."

She is now in charge of designing all the Nies Homes and she was the first one approached when KSN decided to build a Dream House for the Cure.

No one knew at the time why the answer to join us came so quickly.

"Because my mom had breast cancer 15 years ago," said Cherie. "She is a breast cancer survivor. It was just a very, very difficult time. You think it's never going to happen to you -- never to someone you care about. But what I'm learning through this is it hits one in eight women. That's a lot of people to touch."

Some of whom are overlooked.

Joan was the patient, but her husband Clifford lived it too.

The breast cancer, it was bad," said Clifford Nies, founder. "You never knew where you were. You didn't know if you were going to have her in a couple years or whether you weren't."

Joan still finds most of her breast cancer battle too difficult to discuss but she will honestly admit the treatment almost did her in.

Did she feel like quitting?

"I almost did," said Joan. "[Clifford] wouldn't let me and the nurse just begged and begged me not to -- that was giving me the chemo. She begged me not to -- 'please don't do this'".

Those chemo memories still haunt her, but they are overshadowed by the memories she created during that time -- when cancer tested her strength, yet strengthened the beautiful family she had created.

"I have four children and my sister has three," said Cheri. "And every Saturday night all the little grandkids would go over to grandma's house to spend the night."

Those grandkids, now grown, have already given Joan four great-grandchildren and we can expect each of them to contribute to KSN's Dream House for the Cure, a home they will build in honor of the woman who built the Nies family from the ground up.

Joan takes her annual mammograms and blood work very seriously to remain cancer free. It is her hope that, through this project, we can raise awareness -- not only to find the cure, but help other women battle the disease.

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