Sanford Health Foundation Thief River Falls Fall 2016
A new mom’s extraordinary journey
Carissa Hultgren finds hope, compassion and expert care close to home.
Who is your Guardian Angel? Thank you
Unite Campaign donors!
Save the date! Fifth Annual King of Wings!
A new mom’s
extraordinary journey
Hultgren doesn’t remember much more of the experience, but she recalls feeling safe, knowing Dr. Bass and his team would take care of her. “I completely trusted him, 100 percent,” Hultgren said. “That’s how comfortable I felt with him.” Dr. Bass determined that Hultgren’s issues during labor were caused by factor V Leiden, a genetic mutation that increases a woman’s chance of high blood pressure and other complications during childbirth. For Hultgren, it caused a tear in her placenta that threatened her baby’s life.
Carissa Hultgren (left) shows off her son, Liam, to the doctor who delivered him, Dr. Michael Bass (right).
Carissa Hultgren thanks Dr. Michael Bass for helping bring her healthy 3-monthold baby, Liam, into the world. Without him, she doesn’t know if her bundle of cuddles would be here today. Hultgren first met Dr. Bass, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center, when she and her husband, Chris, were struggling to conceive. “I felt like I couldn’t have kids,” Hultgren said. But when she met Dr. Bass, she remembers him telling her, “We’re going to get you a baby, I just know it.” And Dr. Bass was right; with his assistance, the Hultgrens were soon expecting their first child. The couple was overjoyed and didn’t think twice about remaining in Dr. Bass’s care through the pregnancy. Having received such compassion and 2 encourage
positive attention from the start, the Hultgrens knew he was the right person to deliver their baby. For most of the pregnancy, everything seemed to progress as expected and Dr. Bass’s nearly four decades of experience helped ease Hultgren’s first-time-mom worries. But at her 38-week appointment, something seemed off. The baby wasn’t as active as normal, prompting Dr. Bass to suggest an early delivery. A couple of weeks before her due date, Hultgren’s pregnancy was induced. However, when she remained in labor for several hours, fears began to rise about the baby’s safety. Things started happening very quickly then, Hultgren recalls. An oxygen mask was placed over her face, and she was rushed to the operating room for an emergency C-section.
“It’s something you wouldn’t find out about until something like this happens,” Hultgren said. Hultgren thanks Dr. Bass for bringing Liam into the world and keeping him healthy through a complicated delivery. Besides taking hormone shots to help curb any clotting issues, Hultgren is enjoying the lifechanging experience of being a mom despite, of course, not getting quite enough sleep. She hopes to have more children and plans to keep Dr. Bass as her doctor. Now that she knows what to expect, Hultgren has no fears for her next pregnancy. “Having a doctor who genuinely cares can change your experience so much,” Hultgren said. “Dr. Bass makes it as easy as possible, so I’m not scared to have another baby.”
Gifts of all sizes make a difference in advancing lifesaving health care for so many. To support this important work today, call (218) 683-4105 or email shfoundation-TRF@sanfordhealth.org.
Guardian Angel
Honor your Guardian Angel Looking for a meaningful way to thank a Sanford doctor, nurse, volunteer or staff member who touched your life in a special way? Our Guardian Angel program gives patients and families the opportunity to celebrate exceptional care by making a gift in honor of a caregiver. Your Guardian Angel will receive well-deserved recognition, and your gift will enhance services for future patients at Sanford Thief River Falls.
To honor your Guardian Angel, please contact Susan Johnson at (218) 683-4105 or susan.johnson@sanfordhealth.org.
Unite
A Community of Wellness
Save The Date! If you love chicken wings—and honestly who doesn’t?—join us for a great cause at the fifth annual King of Wings!
Many thanks!
We have reached our goal for the Unite Campaign! Thanks to donors like you, we are able to give kids an indoor destination to be active regardless of the weather outside. By enhancing the Sanford Thief River Falls Wellness Center with kid-friendly fitness and recreation equipment, we will get our community’s young people off the couch and on the path to a healthier future! Thank you to everyone who has supported this important cause. We especially want to recognize the Engelstad Family Foundation and the Hartz Foundation for their extraordinary generosity.
To continue supporting Unite or other exciting projects today, contact Susan Johnson at (218) 683-4105 or shfoundation-TRF@sanfordhealth.org.
Thursday, May 11, 2017 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Thief River Falls Armory Join us as a contestant in our Wing Master Challenge, a sponsor, volunteer or just come and enjoy some of the best-tasting wings in Minnesota. Thank you to all the volunteers, contestants and sponsors who made last year’s event a stunning success. We raised more than $25,000 for the Unite Campaign to support community wellness right here in Thief River Falls.
Let’s set a new record in 2017!
We owe it to our kids! encourage 3
Sanford Sanford Sanford Health Health Foundation Thief River PO Box 609Falls 120 LaBreeND Ave. S. Hillsboro, 58045 Thief River Falls, MN 56701
We’ve moved! Please note our new address and visit us anytime.
Sanford Health Foundation Thief River Falls 120 LaBree Ave. S. Thief River Falls, MN 56701
More upcoming events in Thief River Falls Holiday Wood and Wine Fundraiser
Employee Craft and Vendor Show
Enjoy a night out and create a custom wood sign with Hickory Backroads. Guests go home with a beautiful, fun, or festive sign ready to hang or display. Proceeds will support programs and services at Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center.
Come shop for the holidays or just treat yourself with our great selection of local vendors. Entrance fees for vendors will support Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center.
Oct. 17, Black Cat Sports Bar and Grill
Purse Sale Come browse Purses for Nurses’ excellent selection of purses, scarves and other accessories. Proceeds will support the Sanford Thief River Falls Auxiliary to help enhance programs and services at Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center. Oct. 20-21, Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center, Conference Rooms 1 and 2
Nov. 22, Sanford Thief River Falls Medical Center, Conference Rooms 1 and 2
For more information about these events, contact Susan Johnson at (218) 683-4105 or email susan.johnson@sanfordhealth.org.
Thank you to our
Foundation board members We extend sincere gratitude to the members of the Sanford Health Foundation Thief River Falls. Thank you for your time, leadership and commitment to the future of health care in our region. 2016 board members Brian Carlson Mary Cullen Tom Kays Mike Nelson Mike Parker Wally Sparby Darlene Wiseth Staff Micah Aberson, Executive Vice President Sanford Health Foundation
Sue Johnson, Development Director Sanford Health Foundation
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