Spring Newsletter WINTER 2019 2019
From our house to yours
FAMILY STORY: The Jorgenson Family
Jorgenson Family 184 nights at RMHC
Written by Jennifer Jorgenson Just as the medical plane landed in Fargo and I entered the transport ambulance, I got the call: ‘Hi, Jennifer! This is Katie from the Ronald McDonald House in Fargo. We have a room available for you at the North House!’ As difficult the situation was with our son Kallen’s illness, I knew I was in God’s plan when I got that phone call at the same time I entered the ambulance as I could not have coordinated this to work out so perfectly. What an assurance to have a warm, safe, and friendly place to stay in the cold weariness of February. Not only was the RMHC a safe place, it also meant I did not have to deal with the financial burden of finding a hotel, which was a huge item of stress off the list of concerns for the day ahead. Kallen had been airlifted from Mayo in Rochester, MN to
Fargo, ND so that he could be hospitalized closer to home and family near Thief River Falls, MN. The journey of recovery had been much longer than anticipated since Kallen survived septic shock. Nine months and counting since that first night he was initially airlifted to Fargo from TRF. Kallen not only survived the septic shock incident but multiorgan system failure and needed to be airlifted to Mayo a week later for an emergency heart surgery to replace a heart valve where a staph infection had settled and continued to re-seed his body’s bloodstream with sepsis. Kallen who has Down Syndrome, too, was not expected to survive the heart surgery, nor the attacks of his immune system on his body, kidney and liver failure, plus four amputations of his hands and feet due to the loss of circulation. All of this from the septic shock incident, yet he survived and surpassed everyone’s expectations by the grace of God.
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The Jorgenson Family continued After nine months of a PICU stay at Mayo, Kallen finally was able to transfeo Vibra Hospital in Fargo to work on getting off a ventilator and be close to his family and friends. This all meant that I was closer to home, too, and able to stay close to Kallen at the RMHC in Fargo. Not only was it a convenience to stay at the RMHC but a comfort. The homey setting of the historical “North House” in a quiet neighborhood was peaceful. The travel convenience of the “South House” to the hospital was appreciated. Fargo had two houses for RMHC guests (called North and South) before the new larger facility near Sanford opened. I fortunately had the opportunity to stay at all three and the first family to walk into the new house! The generous embrace of the community of Fargo/ Moorhead was felt immediately as I tasted the donations of Sandy’s Donuts and delicious meals from area businesses and volunteers. Just having food in the kitchen after a 10 hour day at the hospital, a place to call “my space” to make my own meals and do laundry helped ease the stress during the uncertainty of day to day medical living. Sharing “hero” stories of our children with other families, House managers/ staff and volunteers also alleviated the pain of loneliness from being away from home and family for so long.
It was the extra perks from generous donors that also made my day or helped me cope such as tickets to the Red River Zoo, Thrive Fest, restaurant gift cards, and a pass to the YMCA. Little things like donated flower bouquets, pet therapy visits from a beautiful husky, and even rhubarb from a volunteer so I could make homemade jam all helped remind me of home! Staying in the new House was like a regal hotel yet with the friendly “family” of Ronald McDonald House staff and volunteers. Plus I was able to be close to Kallen which meant more time to help with his cares and recovery at the hospital and give the special medicine called love that
moms give!
During this time that Kallen was hospitalized for 20 months, I was able to stay at an RMHC between Fargo and Rochester for most of those months. Though Kallen needed to be airlifted back to Mayo later and we ended up moving to Rochester recently so that he could be discharged with home nursing (which is hard to find up north), I will never forget the benefit and blessing it was to stay at the Fargo RMHC. The generosity of the community, staff, and volunteers will always be remembered and my heart will always be grateful for the outpouring love that met mine and our family’s need.
Jennifer 2
A Note from Jill Christopher Executive Director It seems that spring is finally here and I could not be more excited. Not only are
we celebrating that the snow is (finally!) melting, but we are celebrating National
Volunteer Month! We could not do what we do without the tremendous support
from our volunteer network. Each and every one of our volunteers play a major role
in our mission to keep families near their sick children. They are here to lessen the
burdens these families face and I could not be more grateful for this amazing support. Some volunteers spend a few hours a week or month and some are just here once,
but they all make a big difference by cooking delicious meals for our families, cleaning our
wonderful new house, and doing the little things to make our house feel like home during families’
stays. You can find volunteers helping out at our front desk, stuffing envelopes for an upcoming event, or serving on our Board of directors! They are friendly faces during stressful times.
I am eternally grateful for the selflessness of our volunteers. THANK YOU. Your work matters! With gratitude,
Jill R. Christopher
Almost one year in our new House! We’re coming up on one year in our new Ronald McDonald House! We couldn’t be more honored to have served families in our new space for the past year. Here are a few fun surprises we’ve come across along the way: • With the space, we’ve been able to offer many more new activities, including arts and crafts night, movie night, and massages from a massage student in training • Our new location is right on a MATBUS route, which allows families to travel where our RMHC van may not • Since we have a much larger parking lot, we can receive large shipments more easily – the semi-truck drivers love this perk!
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We knew the storage would help us be more organized, and it’s also allowed us to be more strategic in asking for in-kind donations We’ve found that more people are coming to us in part because we are able to offer private bathrooms
Ultimately, we’re still doing the same thing we’ve always done: serve families. With our new house, we’re able to support families better and even more impactfully. Thank you to so many volunteers, donors, and businesses for partnering with us to make this support possible!
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The 30th Annual Sweetheart Ball Presented by McDonald’s of the Red River Valley
The 30th Annual Sweetheart Ball was an incredible evening of fun and generosity. Dressed in ball gowns and bow ties, attendees surveyed a plethora of silent auction items using the mobile bidding system. Amy Iler and JJ Gordan of KFGO took the stage to welcome over 400 guests as they enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by the Holiday Inn. After dinner, guests were encouraged to join in playing a heads or tails game with the chance to win a $400 West Acres gift card, thanks to West Acres Development. Jill Christopher, Executive Director of RMHC, gave an update of RMHC Fargo.
A special thank you to the 2019 Sweetheart Ball Committee! Your commitment and hard work are truly appreciated.
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Amber Blomberg Ann Werlinger Caitlin Stoecker Jackie Schlucter Jo Hatfield Kelly Heyer Lori Tiongson Mary Ellen Rolfson Ruth Hetland Sarah Kenz Sharon Miller Sheri Batesole
She shared how incredible it has been to offer our new spaces to families for nearly a year in our new Ronald McDonald House. Guests also watched a short video that showed how families like the Stehley family are able to utilize so many wonderful amenities in the new house. The Stehley family stayed at RMHC for 38 nights while their young son received cancer treatments. The Stehley family was so appreciative for their stay at RMHC to get away from the hospital, nurses, and machines. In our new house, we can provide a break for families with our game room, playroom, kitchen, and living rooms. Then, the live auction, led by Kimberly Fladeboe Anderson, was a huge success thanks to our wonderful donors Jonathan and Kari Jo O’Keefe, Susan Fuglie, Ruth and Dale Hetland, Martha Gonzalez, Hornbacher’s, Minnesota Wild Foundation, Nick Wimer, David Hoffman, Jean Zimmerman, Happy Harry’s Bottle Shops, and the RMHC Board of Directors. Bev McAllister was our keynote speaker.
We wanted to look back at the origins of RMHC in Fargo, ND. Bev and her husband are at the very center of our origins. Following the death of their 14-month-old daughter, Sara, Bev connected with two moms in a parents’ support group. Together, the moms knew more could be done for families with sick children and dreamed of a place like the Ronald McDonald House in Fargo. Now, nearly two decades later, RMHC Fargo continues to be a reality thanks to three moms dreaming for better support for families. Thanks to Tellwell, guests could get their pictures taken to remember this fun event as they began to dance the night away with The Deadbeats! The 2019 Sweetheart Ball was a wonderful evening raising over $130,000 to support families when it matters most. The Ronald McDonald House would like to extend a huge thank you to all the businesses and individuals who helped make this year a success, especially our presenting sponsor, McDonald’s Restaurants of the Red River Valley.
Thank you for filling the shoes of a donor for RMHC this Giving Hearts Day! “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” At RMHC, the families we support weren’t expecting to have an ill child, and we’re here to make sure their life is a little easier. We run 100% on donations, and we are so grateful for the support we receive from our family of donors. On Giving Hearts Day, over $110,000 was raised by donors who said #CountMe to support our RMHC families! Giving Hearts Day was on Thursday, February 14th, 2019, and contributions of $10 or more to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley were matched up to $44,000 thanks to Dakota Medical Foundation, Nodak Insurance Company, Mike and Cindy O’Keefe - McDonald’s Grand Forks, and an anonymous donor. A special thank you to Dakota Medical Foundation, Impact Foundation, and Alex Stern Family Foundation for putting on such an inspirational day of giving. A big thank you to Hatch Realty for allowing us to be a part of their Date Night – your generosity is greatly appreciated.
RMHC Kudos to the 2019 Sweetheart Ball Committee! Your commitment and hard work are truly appreciated. Thank you LuAnne Brosz, James Hand, Jordan Houselog, & Stacy Dow!
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Save the Date 20th Annual Ronald McDonald House Golf Tournament Monday, July 15th, 2019 Tee time has arrived! The 19th Annual Ronald McDonald House Charities Golf Tournament will be held Monday, July 15th at Meadows Golf Course in Moorhead! It’s sure to be a fun time golfing to help families stay close together - and we’d love to have you! All sessions will have a shotgun start of 1:00 pm. The tournament will be held rain or shine. Check out www.rmhcfargo.org for more information or contact Erica at 701-232-3980 or erica@rmhcfargo.org
RMH Ride June 8, 2019 In its 18th year, this year’s Ride will be the best yet! This fun weekend includes an incredible ride around the scenic countryside, live bands, burn out pit, and silent & live auctions! A whole weekend full of fun events begins Friday night with a concert! More information is available at www.rmhride.com
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Petite Boutique We are so excited to announce one of our newest spaces: our Petite Boutique! The Petite Boutique is a small boutique where families can pick out clothes and other baby items they need as they transition to life with a newborn at no charge. Our hope for this program is to alleviate some of the stress parents and families might feel if their baby is born prematurely or unexpectedly. To help fill the boutique, we are accepting hand knit or crocheted baby booties, baby sweaters, and baby hats. If you’d like a free pattern to follow, please see our website at rmhcfargo.org or contact Ashley Peterson by calling 701-232-3980.
Thank you, volunteers! Volunteers are the backbone of our Ronald McDonald House. Without them, we would not be able to grow and make a huge difference in the lives of the families we serve.
over
950 volunteers!
In 2018, over 950 people volunteered over 2,600 hours to support RMHC families. We truly appreciate your dedication to serving families at RMHC!
over
2,600 hours
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Spring Wishlist • Laundry detergent (HE, hypo-allergenic preferred) • Women/Men’s Deodorant • Ground coffee • Clorox wipes • Scrubbing Bubbles shower cleaner
4757 AGASSIZ CROSSING S, FARGO, ND 58104