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makes Louisville so great . Seeing them go from these interviews to graduation is bittersweet .
“ The month of June is sad to see people graduate and move on , but it ’ s also the most fun and inspiring month of the year because we get to look at our graduates and see how far they ’ ve come . They go from being very green at the beginning of residency , and by the end they ’ re wonderful physicians , people that you would trust to take care of you or your parents .”
Speaking of parents , Dr . Maggard ’ s moved from Hyden to Louisville in recent years as she and her brother are both in the area now , wanting to be close to their children and grandchildren . Dr . Maggard and her high-school-sweetheart-turned-husband John have two daughters , 9-year-old Lily and 8-year-old Reese . Both girls are involved in what seems like every activity under the sun , from volleyball to cheerleading to cross country to track to softball to basketball , really “ whatever is floating their boat for the season .”
When she has free time , she ’ s normally running to their practices and games , and helping teach them skills whenever possible . If running after her kids isn ’ t enough , she also likes to stay active with weightlifting and running . In the spirit of balance , she is also an avid baker . While her most-baked item is classic chocolate chip cookies , she also loves making cakes . Every year for their birthdays , her girls go online to find a new fancy cake design to challenge her .
As a family , they travel multiple times a year , mostly to mountainous regions , as John is a competitive mountain biker . Formerly an elementary school teacher , he became a stay-at-home dad when their oldest was born . “ He keeps us running and keeps us in line . I don ’ t know what we ’ d do without him . He is our consistency .”
Something else they all like to do as a family is volunteer with Breakthrough T1D , formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation ( JDRF ). Their older daughter , Lily , was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2021 . In 2023 Lily was accepted to a program with JDRF that took them to Washington , D . C ., to meet with the teams of Sen . Mitch McConnell , Sen . Rand Paul , Rep . Morgan Mc- Garvey and others to advocate for the need for funding for Type 1 Diabetes research . They have also done a 100-mile bike ride to raise money for the organization , participated in fundraising walks and attended the annual gala in town .
Looking into a crystal ball for an outlook on the future seems futile , as Dr . Maggard said five-year plans rarely play out as anticipated . But she plans to stay involved with the residency program to continue to help nurture and train future anesthesiologists .
“ I have helped the program through some significant growth over the last few years , and I ’ m eager to see where we go over the coming years . I love seeing the progress of residents over time . By graduation , it ’ s like you ’ re a proud mama , watching your kids go off into the world to do good things . I really enjoy seeing their growth and I ’ m very proud of the program that I ’ ve helped grow .”
Kathryn Vance is the Communications and Event Coordinator at the Greater Louisville Medical Society .
( above l to r ) Advocating with JDRF in Washington , D . C ., for the need for funding for Type 1 diabetes research .; Dr . Maggard and her family on vacation in Snowshoe , WV .
( opposite page top ) Dr . Maggard and her husband John in Park City , UT with friends Drs . Matthew and Elyssa Yantis .; Dr . Maggard winning the UofL Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine ’ s Aldrete Award for Clinical Excellence and Teaching .
( opposite page middle ) Dr . Maggard and her daughter , Reese , at Throo the Zoo 5K run / walk ; Dr . Maggard and her daughter Lily ; Dr . Maggard talking about her job as an anesthesiologist at her daughter ’ s school career day .
( opposite page bottom ) Dr . Maggard and her family on vacation in Arches National Park ; At a bike race for JDRF .
36 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE