NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2018
From Our House to Yours
RONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY NEWSLETTER
FAMILY STORY: DOCK TER FAMILY “Without RMHC we would not be able
girls were sharing the same sac, Matthew
could not pay for their own lodging while
to stay here while our girls recover.
and Kathryn were overcome with even
the girls were receiving care in the NICU.
This would have been heartbreaking
greater concern and uncertainty.
The Ronald McDonald House offered an affordable place to stay, allowing the
considering the fragile state they were in!� - Dockter Family
Three weeks after Kathryn was admitted
Dockters to focus on what mattered most:
into the hospital, Valerie and Eleanor
helping their baby girls recover.
When Baby Valerie was found to have a
were born 10 weeks premature. Due to
rare congenital heart defect while still in
their fragile condition, they were
the womb with her sister, Matthew and
incubated in the NICU for several
Kathryn Dockter knew their pregnancy
months. Baby Eleanor was able
would be complicated. It also meant
to go home after completing
making the long 6-hour round trip drive
the fairly standard prematurity
from Mandan to Fargo for weekly doctor
process while Valerie, because
appointments.
of her heart defect, underwent a hospital transfer and successful
During one of these routine weekly
open heart surgery.
appointments in Fargo, doctors discovered that the membrane separating
Another additional stressor
the two Dockter twins had ruptured
the Dockters faced during this
and the girls shared the same sac. This
experience was a significant
presented immediate danger to both twins
income cut. Since Kathryn was
so Kathryn was admitted into the hospital
not able to work through her
right away. After finding out their precious
high risk pregnancy, the family
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