The Sorum Family
A year and a half after saying “I do”, Danielle and Jesse Sorum were elated to discover that their fertility treatments had worked, and they were expecting their first child! Danielle said that pregnancy was a dream and she loved every minute of it, but towards the end, her blood pressure began to rise. Doctors knew the safest choice was to induce her three weeks early.
Jones was born after a long labor. At first he wasn’t getting enough oxygen, so he was immediately transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks. What Danielle and Jesse thought would be a simple dose of antibiotics and
oxygen turned out to be a much bigger ordeal. After three periods of unexplained apneas - moments of not breathing, Jones was transferred to Sanford Health in Fargo. Danielle made the difficult decision to travel to be close to her son, just eleven hours postpartum.
The Sorums arrived in Fargo at two in the morning, exhausted and scared beyond words, armed with nothing but the hospital bags they packed days prior.
“The only choice I heard in the conversation with our social worker that made any sense was Ronald McDonald House. It was closest to my baby,” Danielle said. Children, especially new babies, need bonding time with parents and the power of touch to heal.
“I know without a doubt that if Jesse and I weren’t able to be there daily, Jones’ recovery would have taken longer.”
It is never easy to be 80 miles from home, unsure of what the future holds; it was especially difficult for the Sorums, who were with us over Thanksgiving.
A NOTE FROM JILL CHRISTOPHER
Executive Director
But after their initial tour of the house, Danielle mentioned how the game room, playroom, and living room gave her a sense of ease after a full day at the hospital. When told they could stock up on baby items from the Petite Boutique, Danielle had tears in her eyes seeing donated items—everything imaginable for a newborn baby!
The Sorums also spoke highly about the homecooked meals, stocked fridge, and full pantry during their stay.
“Our son was hospitalized over Thanksgiving, so it was a real treat to have a turkey dinner with each other after returning from the hospital,” Danielle said. “It’s something we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.”
The Sorum family navigated the unknown for six nights before Jones was finally ready to be sent home.
“Without RMH, we might not have been able to see Jones daily with home being far away and not knowing what we could afford financially,” Danielle said.
As we celebrate volunteer appreciation month, I can’t help but think about how much the last year has made us appreciate what our generous volunteers mean to our mission and to the families at the Ronald McDonald House. While we were not able to have nearly as many onsite volunteers in 2020, our volunteers still stepped up in big ways to support our families. I am so grateful to each of you who checked in on our team with a quick “hello” and words of support, who dropped off ingredients and meals to ensure that our families had a warm dinner to come back to after a long day, and who dropped off much-needed items to ensure we had all that we needed to serve our families well each day. Thank you for getting us through the difficult moments.
We look forward to welcoming more volunteers back soon and are so grateful that you continue to support our mission. We are better because of you!
Sweetheart Ball & Giving Hearts Day RECAP
The second week of February was busy gearing up for Giving Hearts Day and our annual Sweetheart Ball within the same week! On February 11th, generous donors gave “the gift that keeps on giving” during the 24-hour Giving Hearts Day online giving event hosted by Dakota Medical Foundation. Throughout the day, donors “unwrapped” all the gifts RMHC gives to families who stay while their child is receiving medical care. These gifts included things like sponges, baby items, and confetti to represent a clean place to stay, comfort items, and a staff who celebrates achievements every step of the way!
With a generous match of $48,000, 715 Giving Hearts donated over $137,000! Kudos to the 2021 Giving Hearts Day Committee and big THANK YOU to Nodak Insurance Company, Dakota Medical Foundation, Mike & Cindy O’Keefe, and an anonymous donor for being our 2021 match donors.
Two days later, we celebrated our 32nd annual Sweetheart Ball presented by McDonald’s Restaurants of the Red River Valley. This virtual Ball had an option for a meal at home delivered early in the day by volunteers. That evening, over 200 people logged in to view our program and bid on the silent auctions. The program included emcees JJ Gordon and Amy Iler from “It Takes Two with Amy and JJ” on KFGO 790 AM/94.1FM
Although we were virtual, we could feel your support throughout the night in the chat and engagement on social media. We could not have done it without our amazing Sweetheart Ball committee members, staff, Tellwell, Chef’s Table Catering, and Cakes by Althea by making it come to life. In addition,
thanks to our presenting sponsor, McDonald’s Restaurants of the Red River Valley; our event sponsor, Sanford Health; our platinum sponsor, Essentia Health; our media sponsor, Midwest Communications; our dessert sponsor, Cakes by Althea, and all of our gold & silver sponsors and auction donors.
RMHC VOLUNTEERS
The month of April buzzes with excitement for warm days, green grass and celebrating our volunteers for National Volunteer Appreciation Month. In typical years, we highlight how many volunteers have graced our house and dedicated their hours to keeping us running smoothly. But as we know, this year isn’t like other years. Last year, when we had to close our doors to outside visitors, the community stepped up in new ways to feed our families, make sure we had the needed items, and check in with our staff. We couldn’t have made it through 2020 without that support. As we look forward to what this year brings, we hope that we can open our doors to volunteers again soon.
We’d like to thank everyone who stood by our side during the darkest days of the past year. Thank you to our Heartwarmers who we have welcomed back first with extra safety precautions for all. And thank you to YOU for your continued support of RMHC. If you’re interested in volunteering when we reopen our doors, please email Ashley at ashley@rmhcfargo.org
SAVE THE DATES
Saturday June 12TH , 2021
The world’s largest ride to benefit a Ronald McDonald House occurs in New York Mills, MN on June 12th. This year’s 20th annual motorcycle ride will be the best yet! The weekend includes an incredible ride around scenic countryside, motorcycle raffle, live music, kid’s bike rodeo, and live & silent auctions. This year also includes a fun run leading up to the event!
For more information check out: www.rmhride.com 22ndAnnual Ronald McDonald House
Monday July 12th, 2021
Golf FORE a good cause! It’s time to dust off your clubs and gather your best golfing buddies! The annual RMHC of the Red River Valley Golf Tournament will be held July 12th at Meadows Golf Course in Moorhead, MN Check out www.rmhcfargo.org for more information or contact Alex at 701-232-3980 or alex@rmhcfargo.org Sponsorships are currently available!
4757 AGASSIZ CROSSING S, FARGO, ND 58104
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