The Restoring Hope Transplant House opened Wednesday after years of work.

The house in Middleton offers organ and bone marrow recipients a place to stay while they focus on their recovery.

The house, located on Terrace Avenue, will serve as a home away from home for families getting transplants at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison.

Patients will find guest rooms, living spaces and experienced staff. It costs $35 dollars to stay at Restoring Hope per night, unlike hotels, which can cost more than $100.

"We are full of gratitude for those that have actually helped us get there,"Cindy Herbst, executive director of the Restoring Hope Transplant House, said. "As a nonprofit, you never do it alone. You need those people in the community, those donors and those friends that come together and say, 'We understand.'"

Whooping cough cases are increasing in Wisconsin, and health officials are urging people to make sure their vaccinations are up to date.

Since the start of the year, state health officials have investigated nearly 3,500 cases. That's about 11 cases for every 100,000 people.

People who don't have school-aged children may not be thinking about immunizations, but doctors said they should be.

"Everybody sees it as I saw it before I had it as an adult -- that it's a childhood disease and it doesn't happen to adults," said Maxine Dwyer, a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital in Madison, who has had two bouts with whooping cough. 

"This is the (cough) that sounds like it's coming from your toes. It's deep and it goes on and on and on to the point you feel like you may not be able to catch your next breath," Dwyer said.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the highest instances are in Dane County.  

Over the past several months, whooping cough, or pertussis, has been on the rise in Dane County, according to Public Health Department officials.

Since March 1, more than 90 cases have been reported in Dane County and more cases are expected, officials said.

Most of the reported cases are school aged children -- and within the age group, the hardest hit is 10 to 14 year old people, officials said. More than 160 total cases have been reported since the beginning of the year. 

While cases of pertussis have been found in quite a few areas of the county, clusters of cases have been reported in Sun Prairie, Monona and Cottage Grove. 

Other counties in Wisconsin have also seen an increase in pertussis.