Jamestown Regional Medical Center’s annual GOLF “fore” ANGELS event is rescheduled for Saturday, Aug. 4.
Under the leadership of Dr. Mandy Sorlie, family practitioner at Sanford Health Jamestown, JRMC hosts GOLF “fore” ANGELS each year.
The 9-hole tournament benefits infant bereavement care at JRMC.
Originally, the tournament was set for Friday, Aug. 3.
Every year, families experience the loss of an infant due to an unexpected circumstance. ANGELS helps pay medical bills for those parents through the JRMC Foundation. The fund is available to anyone who experiences infant loss at JRMC at the gestation of 16 weeks or greater up to 4 months of age due to unavoidable circumstances.
In 2017, the tournament raised about $9,000.
The fund is the brainchild of Dr. Sorlie and her family: husband, Dave; and three children, Olivia, Owen and Lauren. As an endowment, the fund will support families for generations to come.
“As parents, we couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to experience infant death,” Dr. Sorlie said. “When we initially thought of this, Dave just looked at me and said ‘we can do it.’”
Saying “I’m sorry for your loss” and “It’s not your fault” to a family after a miscarriage or death always felt empty, Dr. Sorlie said.
The ANGELS fund was one way to change that.
ANGELS stands for Advocating for Neonatal Grief and Early Loss Support. ANGELS grant amounts and recipients are determined by the availability of funds. The grant covers the labor and delivery charges after insurance payments. On average, families that have insurance would otherwise have to pay more than $1,500 for these medical services. ANGELS removes this financial burden and helps families grieve.
Since it started three years ago, the Dr. Mandy and Dave Sorlie ANGELS fund has helped 10 families.
Although the impetus for the fund is heart-breaking, community support makes it easier to bear.
“I can’t believe the support,” Dr. Sorlie said. “People come out of the woodwork to volunteer, support and donate silent auction items to the tournament.”
Dr. Sorlie said she is especially grateful to Renae Lunde, a registered nurse at JRMC’s Family BirthPlace. Lunde pioneered many of the infant bereavement offerings in Jamestown, donating hours of her personal time and effort.
The fund is a beautiful offering to families experiencing this loss, said JRMC Foundation Director Lisa Jackson. But it helps others too. In planning GOLF “fore” ANGELS, Jackson said she receives letters, calls and visits from people who experienced infant death as many as 40 years ago.
“Back then, families were told to forget it and move on,” Jackson said. “As heart-breaking as that is, we’re humbled at the opportunity to help these families too. In some ways, the ANGELS fund is a comfort to these families. This is a way they can help others during such a difficult time.”
GOLF “fore” ANGELS registration opens at 9 a.m., shotgun starts at 10 a.m. A luncheon is set for 1 p.m. with silent auction and awards to follow.
To learn more about the ANGELS fund, call (701) 952-4880. Registration is available online.
For team registration, sponsorships and other opportunities: