INSPIRED TO GIVE. INSPIRED TO HEAL.

Sanford Health Foundation Fargo Summer 2011

Laine Nicholls2011 CMN Hospitals Champion

Energ-i-zeLocal students learn to

Meet Gi-Gi

Family ofGiving

Laine Nicholls2011 Children’s Miracle

Network Hospitals Champion

foundation.sanfordhealth.org

A crisp, clear fall Sunday in Devils Lake, N.D. perfect for barrel racing and Beth Nicholls was in the district finals. Before leaving home that morning to round up her horses, she took one last look around. Everybody was fine—3-year-old Laine, 14-year-old Tanner and husband Jeremy. But four miles from home Beth got a call on her cell phone from Tanner. She could hear Laine screaming in the background.

“I knew something was terribly wrong,” said Beth. “Tanner told me a gun had fallen and Laine was shot. I couldn’t believe it. But Tanner did everything right, he’d already called the ambulance.”Heart pounding, Beth sped home. “I was scared of what I might see,” she said. “I just kept telling myself at least he’s crying. He’s alive.”

When Beth arrived, Laine was on the living room floor, a towel pressed against his hip. The 12-gauge shotgun used for bird-hunting had been leaning against the corner by the door. When it fell, Laine was in the line of fire just 15 feet away. Jeremy was out doing chores when he got the call from Beth and raced to Mercy Hospital in Devils Lake.

The shot had torn through Laine’s right hip, leaving one pellet behind. The Devils Lake

“Laine was never fearful because of the people at Sanford Children’s.” –Beth Nicholls

emergency staff called Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, activating Sanford LifeFlight. Beth accompanied Laine on the flight to Fargo. Jeremy and Tanner traveled on the ground, a 180-mile trip.During emergency surgery, Dr. Gary Kubalak, Sanford trauma surgeon, removed the pellet and set the stage for best possible healing. For the next week, Laine stayed at Sanford Children’s Hospital, where specialized wound care helped prevent infection. Beth thought the experience might be scary for Laine. But the play room, child life specialists and caring nurses all made the difference. “He healed well,” said Beth.

But Beth and Jeremy needed healing, too. Family support, a visit with a social worker and comforting words from nurses helped. “We felt so guilty about what happened,” she said. “We definitely made changes in our home as far as gun safety.”

Laine’s treatment went beyond the hospital. For two months he had a wound vac—a portable machine that provided gentle suction to help the wound heal. It stayed with him 24/7 and required twice-a-week trips to Fargo for wound cleaning and dressing change. The process could have been very painful, especially the tape removal, but it wasn’t. “Laine was never fearful because of the people at Sanford Children’s,” said Beth. “We had the routine down. Laine would pull his little wagon into surgery, a child life specialist and I would go with him, she’d place the nitrous oxide mask on his face and he’d fall asleep. He’d wake up in his hospital room, have crackers and apple juice, then head to the playroom. He loved that.” In early November, one final step: a successful skin grafting procedure at Sanford Same Day Surgery. Today Laine jumps and plays like any 3-year-old. He navigates an indoor playground, moving through tunnels and climbing ropes. And when he heads down the slide? “Look out below!” he yells. And look out North Dakota: Here comes your 2011 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Champion!

The Nicholls family discovered firsthand the dramatic difference Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals makes! Gifts such as yours have helped to fund child life specialists, the nitrous oxide program, the playroom and much, much more at Sanford Children’s.

3 encourage

Energ-i-zeArea students learn to

This spring, students at four different Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo elementary schools brought their parents to class to learn how to improve food choices, increase physical activity and reduce screen time. With a grant from the Fargo-Moorhead Area Foundation, Sanford Health introduced an innovative and collaborative learn-by-doing family fit night called Sanford Health Energ-i-ze. The program teaches children how to maintain a healthy weight through hands-on learning and activities, such as Nutrition Jeopardy. The family-based evening activities teach the basics of proper nutrition, how to making healthy snacks, trying new

food items, controlling portion sizes and experimenting with recipes. The activity stations were led by registered dietitians and exercise physiologists from Sanford Health. As collaborative partners of the program, TNT Kids Fitness and the YMCA also hosted stations. Since implementing the family fit night concept, Parent Teacher Associations and schools have asked Sanford Health for help incorporating other nutrition and fitness topics into the regular school curriculum, which led to innovative ideas like a before-school walking club and student created commercials on nutrition topics for in-school newscasts.

foundation.sanfordhealth.org

A patient at Sanford Children’s Hospital meets Gi-Gi.

If you see a giraffe wandering the halls of Sanford Children’s

Hospital don’t panic, it’s just Gi-Gi, a portable X-ray machine,

one of the many pieces of child-friendly equipment purchased

with donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. But

Gi-Gi’s remarkable giraffe-like appearance isn’t the only thing

that makes this special equipment so child-friendly. Because

of its portable design, Gi-Gi can be brought to a hospitalized

child’s bedside, regardless of his or her location in the hospital,

and takes digital X-rays within minutes. The technology allows

doctors to diagnose and treat illnesses immediately without

children having to leave their hospital beds or the comforts of

their rooms. But the most important of Gi-Gi’s child-friendly

features is that it delivers a lower dose of radiation than a standard

X-ray, increasing safety and decreasing risks for young patients.

Because of its portable design, Gi-Gi can be brought to a hospitalized child’s bedside, regardless of his or her location in the hospital.

Meet Gi-Gi

encourage 5

6 Foundation Focus

Our legacy, our lasting impression, is created during life and sustained by how we arrange our affairs prior to death. A person who dies with a well-considered estate plan in place creates a more positive impression than one who leaves behind a hodgepodge of loose ends and ambiguous or non-existent directions.

A competent estate planning attorney can help prepare for a positive final impression. Thoughtful planning may include gifts to organizations we have supported during life. These gifts can take various forms, including will bequests and life-income arrangements. They can be used to fund endowments or as outright gifts directed toward specific programs.

At the Sanford Health Foundation we have complementary materials to help you consider the elements of a positive estate plan, including charitable distributions. This information can assist you with exploring some tried and true ways to leave a good last impression not only on family and friends, but for many who share your commitment to supporting Sanford Health.

After 26 wonderful years, the Sanford Health Foundation has retired its annual Children’s Miracle Network TV Celebration and recognized sponsors through other media outlets, including the new Hope and Healing multimedia campaign which ran in May.

The new campaign featured a fresh look for Children’s Miracle Network. Not only was the word “hospitals” added recently to the Children’s Miracle Network name but its familiar balloon logo was updated, as well.

“Officials at the national level believe the addition of “hospitals” to the brand helps solidify the organization’s purpose with partners and the public,” said Hillery Mork, Program Director for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Sanford Children’s in Fargo. “And the new logo reflects the clean, simple and fresh personality of the new image.”

Changes for Children’s Miracle Network

Lasting Impressions

For more information contact Michael Hannaher, Director of Major & Planned Gifts, (701) 234-6422 or michael.hannaher@sanfordhealth.org.

Sanford Children’s in Fargo is one of 170 hospitals affiliated with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Funds raised though Children’s Miracle Network Hospital events and sponsors stay local and help thousands of children each year receive the best pediatric healthcare in our region.

foundation.sanfordhealth.org

7 encourage

The annual Employee-Physician Campaign at Sanford Health has undergone numerous changes over the years, but what remains the same is the generosity of our employees and physicians. Sister Juli Caron, a chaplain in Spirit Care Services, has been giving to the Sanford Family of Giving Campaign since its inception.

Through her firsthand experiences with patients and their families, she is able to see the amazing work accomplished through gifts to this campaign. “As a chaplain, I have the opportunity to see the impact our gifts have on our patients, their families and also our staff,” Sister Juli said. In many cases, patients and their families arrive at Sanford after an emergency with only the shirts on their backs. In these situations the Friends

of the Family Fund provides family members with food tickets and phone cards to contact their loved ones.

“In other instances, a patient may have to sit through long treatments at the Roger Maris Cancer Center. The Roger Maris Cancer Center fund provides these patients and their families with snacks and beverages to make their treatments as comfortable as possible.

“Although these may seem like minor details in a patient’s stay at Sanford, I’ve seen the large impact they can have on a patient and their family,” Sister Juli said. “The generosity of the employees and physicians at Sanford never ceases to amaze me and are one of the many reasons I am proud to be a member of the Sanford family.”

The Friends of the Family

Fund and Roger Maris

Cancer Center Fund

are just two of the more

than 100 funds employees

support on a yearly basis.

The dedication of Sanford

employees is evident

through not only the

service they provide to our

community and its members,

but through their on-going

support of the Sanford

Health Foundation’s

annual Employee—

Physician Campaign.

Sister Juli Caron, a chaplain in Spirit Care Services with Sanford Partners volunteer Phyllis Hohle.

Employee—Physician Campaign makes an impactSanford family of giving

June

August September

June 13 • Children’s Golf Classic—18 Hole Best Ball Scramble Moorhead Country ClubBenefiting Sanford Children’sFor sponsor information please call (701) 234-6372.

June 14 • Cares for Kids Thunder Road Event 11 a.m.-7 p.m.Thunder Road tickets for $10 (good for all outdoor events and no expiration date) Half of proceeds benefit Sanford Children’s Hospital

August 11 • Miracle Treat DayParticipating Dairy Queens in our region will donate $1 or more per blizzard sold. Benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Sanford Children’s, Fargo

August 20Cowboy Up Ride Against Cancer Join more than 480 riders as they raise money for the Roger Maris Cancer Center. For more information visit gventertainment.org/cowboyup

August 31-September 1Grand Forks-Clear Channel RadiothonBenefiting Sanford Children’s

September 21-23 • 61for61 Radiothon Hosted by The Fox 107.9. Benefiting the Roger Maris Cancer Center

September 22 • Against All OddsClassy, casual event celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Roger Maris’ 61st Home Run. Benefiting the Roger Maris Cancer Center

September 24 • 61for61 Home Run/Walk10K and 2 mile competitive runs and 2 mile fun walk through South Fargo. Benefiting the Roger Maris Cancer Center

September 24FM Crusaders Mystery RideBenefiting the Roger Maris Cancer Center

June 25 • Harley Owners Group Miracle RideRegistration starts at 9 a.m.Fargo Harley Davidson, 600 W. Main Ave., West Fargo and Andy’s Harley Davidson, 2756 N. Washington St., Grand Forks. For more information visit fargohd.com/cmn. Benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Sanford Children’s, Fargo

Thank you. Programs featured in this publication benefit from the support of readers like you.

Calendar of Events

Sanford Health Foundation NorthP.O. Box 2010Fargo, ND 58122-0302

(701) 234-6246foundation.sanfordhealth.org