WINTER 2019
FALL 2019
Family Story
The Bata Family After a relatively easy pregnancy, Sydney and Alexander Bata went into their induction appointment with no concerns about the delivery. They had no reason to suspect that their son Lincoln’s first moments in the world would be so traumatic. But there were serious complications when Lincoln was born: he wasn’t breathing.
the doctors could not determine how long
The next few moments flew by in a
the NICU during the first four days of
blur. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) team at Altru in Grand Forks
intubated Lincoln and noticed signs of seizure activity. The Batas made the
difficult decision to fly Lincoln to Sanford
Children’s Hospital in Fargo for what they described as “brain cooling.” Because
Lincoln had been without oxygen, they had no way of predicting the damage done to his organs.
For the cooling, Sanford would place Lincoln on a cooling mat, which
would keep his body temperature at a
hypothermic level. After three days, they
would slowly warm him back up. Once he was warm again, they would do an MRI
to see if there was any brain damage or seizure activity.
Alex went to Fargo immediately to be
with Lincoln and slept on the couch in his treatment, until Sydney could be
discharged from Altru and join the rest of the family in Fargo. In preparation
for Sydney’s arrival, a social worker at
the hospital suggested Alex apply for a room at the Ronald McDonald House.
At that time, the rooms were all full, and Continued on pg. 2
The Bata Family continued the Batas were put on the waiting list. But by Sunday, the Ronald McDonald House had a room available.
The Batas were one of the first families to stay in our new House.
Because they were so close to the hospital, Alex and Sydney were
able to assist with Lincoln’s feedings and changings and snuggle with their newborn baby. Thankfully, Lincoln’s MRI came back completely
clear, with no evidence of seizure activity. After eleven days of precise care, Sydney and Alex were finally able to bring their baby boy home. After such a difficult delivery, Sydney needed time and a comfortable place to recover. She was not able to sit up on her own, and she
could not stand for more than a few minutes at a time. At the Ronald McDonald House, Sydney was able to recover in peace, without added financial burden. During a traumatic and uncertain time,
the Batas were able to focus on their baby, rather than wondering
whether they would be able to pay $150 per night to stay in Fargo on top of their growing medical bills.
One year later, Lincoln is a perfectly normal and healthy little boy. He
is walking, talking, and laughing up a storm. He is curious and smart. He is truly a miracle, and his family is thankful.
A NOTE FROM JILL CHRISTOPHER Executive Director As we approach Thanksgiving, many of
the hospital, warm meals
you are preparing for family and friends
to nourish them, and a
to gather around the turkey and all the
shoulder to lean on through
trimmings (especially my favorite—
the good and the bad. In
the pumpkin pie!). You are getting
fact, we have already helped
ready to greet your loved ones with
over 350 families this year as
hearty “hellos” and big hugs at your
they navigate caring for their
front door. At the Ronald McDonald
sick child. We are able to do what we
always ready to welcome the families
of our mission. As we gather to
we serve with open arms as they find
give thanks this Thanksgiving, I am
comfort and support in our care during
grateful for the generosity of you—
a very stressful time. We are open 365
our amazing donors, volunteers, and
days a year to ensure families have
supporters—and my amazing RMHC
a place of respite from long days at
team that goes above and beyond
House, this is our everyday. We are
do because of you and your support
each and every day. I am so grateful for each one of you, and I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving. With a grateful heart, Jill
RMHC SHIRTS Are you in need of some swag? Fargo Stuff is selling one-of-a-kind RMHC awareness t-shirts!
Half of the proceeds from each purchase will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Fargo. Shirts can be purchased online at https://fargostuff.com/rmhc.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS We could not do what we do without the support of our wonderful volunteer Board of Directors! A momentous “thank you” to all individuals listed below for everything they have done for the Ronald McDonald House in 2019. Brad Kraft
STRIPES #forRMHC
Ascensus Trust President
Shauna Wimer Thank you to all who wore their stripes or
purchased Sandy’s Donuts #forRMHC! 367
dozen donuts were sold and profits donated to the
Ronald McDonald House. We are so grateful to Sandy’s
Donuts and the community for their support. We were able to raise a total
of $1,500 which directly benefits the families at RMHC! Thank you all for your generosity and kindness!
Midco Vice President
Tiffany Lawrence Sanford Health Past President
Kelly Messerschmidt Bell Bank Treasurer
Emily Cook McDonald’s Secretary
Members Monica McConkey Prairie St. Johns
Nicole Christensen Essentia Health
Kirsten Jensen
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Sharon Miller Retired
Alexis Odden Eide Bailly
Jeremy Ostrowski Border States Electric
Katie Rizzo
Sanford Health
Jean Zimmerman
Offutt Family Foundation
Volunteer Spotlight As we near the end of the year, we like to reflect on how thankful we are for our gracious community and amazing volunteers. Our work would not be possible without people
who offer their own time to volunteer at our Ronald McDonald House and Family Room. Here are just some of the hundreds of volunteers who have made an impact in 2019.
SAVE THE DATES
31st Annual SWEETHEART BALL Saturday, Feb 8th, 2020 New location at Delta Hotel Don’t miss an enchanting evening of dinner, dancing, and donating to support the Ronald McDonald House. The 31st Annual Sweetheart Ball will take place on Saturday, February 8, 2020, at the Delta Hotel in Fargo. It’s the perfect preValentine’s Day date! Tickets are $75 for individuals or $600 for a table of 8. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Erica at erica@rmhcfargo.org.
Giving HEARTS DAY February 13th, 2020 Giving Hearts Day will be here before we know it! This 24-hour online giving event is co-hosted by Dakota Medical Foundation, the Impact Foundation, and the Alex Stern Family Foundation. Your support on February 13 will help us realize our dream of keeping all critically-ill children close to their families by providing a supportive, home-like environment
URGENT NEEDS • • • • • • • • • •
HE Gentle Laundry Detergent Dishwashing Liquid K-Cups (regular and decaf) Tall Kitchen Garbage Bags Clorox Toilet Wand Refills LED 40/60 Watt Lightbulbs Women and Men’s Deodorant Grab-n-Go Snacks (granola bars, fruit snacks, etc) Crock Pot Liners Paper Towels
4757 AGASSIZ CROSSING S, FARGO, ND 58104