RFHS Class of 1987 Reunion

10/20/2021

I am sure most of you have heard about Darcy. It’s hard to imagine a bright light like hers ever going out…

11/25/2019

Please read this note to the very end. My thought was that there are people who feel a calling and just haven’t been presented with an opportunity close enough to home.

From our classmate Jack,

Dear Friends,

The purpose of this letter is to bring you up to date on my health and to get the word out that I’m looking for a kidney donor. Some of you may know that I have been dealing with Stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer since 2012 and Stage 5 kidney disease since 2014. The research done by the Mayo Clinic indicates that both are caused by gene mutations; i.e. nothing I could have done to prevent the diseases from doing their thing. A few years ago, Mayo contacted me about getting on the kidney donation list. With my kind of cancer, while it will never be in remission, it is being controlled well enough that they feel a kidney transplant would offer a significant change in my lifestyle, get me off dialysis and improve my overall quality of life.

My kidney disease has gotten significantly worse causing my kidneys not to work well enough to keep me alive. This is what I am facing now, and my treatment options are limited to dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant. I have been getting regular dialysis treatments three times a week for four hours at a time for the past two years. This helps my kidneys do their job and keep me alive, but a transplant would offer me more freedom and the ability to live a longer, healthier, more normal life. Please know that I am fine and can live several more years on dialysis, but I can only get about a day’s drive from Fargo before I need to be back for treatment. I am doing the best I can to work near full-time. I am also a friend, husband and father. Unfortunately, my quality of life right now is relatively lousy.



I have worked very hard to do the things that Mayo asked me to fix to qualify for a kidney transplant. I’ve been in the hospital seven times since January to remove fluid from my heart and to stop bleeding in my stomach. These are proven dialysis side effects. These things have been taken care of and just this week I was approved by Mayo to receive a living donor kidney transplant. Now is the time that we must act.

Finding a kidney for a transplant is not easy. Just ask the 100,000+ people on the waiting list for a deceased donor kidney. Time is not on our side. Some wait for years and many die while waiting. The average wait time is five years or more for a kidney from a deceased donor. However, there is another option: receiving a kidney from a living donor. Asking a family member or a friend to consider donating a kidney to me is difficult, but it greatly improves my chances of getting a transplant. A living kidney donation typically lasts longer and has better function.

You might not know a lot about living donation - I know I didn’t before kidney disease affected my life. Understandably, some people are afraid about the surgery and what living with one kidney will mean for them. Here’s some basic information about kidney donation:
You only need one kidney to live a healthy, long life.
Most donor surgery is done laparoscopically, meaning through tiny incisions.
The recuperation period is usually fairly quick, generally two weeks.
The cost of your evaluation and surgery will be covered by my insurance. The hospital can give you extensive information on this.
You will have a separate team of healthcare professionals to evaluate you as a living donor. Their job is to help you understand the risks and benefits and look out for YOUR best interests.
You can also learn more about living donation on the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) website: www.kidney.org/livingdonation or by contacting the NKF’s free, confidential helpline at 855.NKF.CARES (855.653.2273) or [email protected]. If you want to talk to someone who’s already donated a kidney, NKF can help with that too.

It is our desire to get a field of possible donors registered in the next two weeks for the Mayo doctors to review and consider. If you are interested in registering, you can contact my living donor team directly at 866.227.1569. Some are finding it easier to register electronically by going to the following Website. Either way you will need my personal information, below:

https://survey.livingdonormc.org/approach/?service=mayo.mn.transplant.combined:kidney.prereq.1&?ljs=en



Thank you for taking the time to read my story. If donating a kidney to me is something you would like to consider, I would be happy to tell you more about my story and explore the process of determining if you are a match for me. My cell phone is 701.361.8795. I know living donation may not be right for everyone — but you can still help! Consider being an organ donor after death and help me by sharing my story with everyone you know. At the very least I want to bring awareness to kidney disease and living donation. I am hopeful my efforts will help me receive a kidney soon and encourage others to consider helping the many people on the wait list.

Tracey, Jordan and I thank you for your consideration. I thank you for the possibility of a gift of life.

Sincerely,

Jack McLagan





Jack & Tracey McLagan
4757 Woodhaven St. South
Fargo ND 58104

page id: mayo.mn.transplant.combined/kd_transplant-landing-page; xnid: unknown; BREEZE.git: v1.12.1-62-g9a927cc b.cfg.git: rx.smxn.20160908-49-g15701e5

07/06/2019

Meet up: Sunday, July 7th, 5:30 at Pier 500

07/17/2017

Look at the handsome classmate I ran into on my flight back to California today!!!!

07/10/2017

Mr Paul, ever the joy in the room!! You always make me smile and laugh until I cry!!!! 😊

07/10/2017

Such a fabulous group of people!!

06/22/2017

RSVP deadline is fast approaching. Please let Deb (Hoffman)Dahl know if you will be attending and if you will be bringing a guest. THANKS!

July 8th
West Wind Supper Club
5:30 pm meet in bar area to catch up and have a cocktail (if that is your thing)
6:30 pm sit in reserved seating area for us

The limited menu options for us that night are:
Saturday Night Buffet
Includes deluxe
Garden Bar & Soup
$18
West Wind
Steak Sirloin
7oz sirloin topped with a
roasted corn Salsa Served with
Au Gratin Potatoes and
Seasonal Vegetable Medley
$21
Chicken Bruschetta
6oz breast with fresh basil,
Roasted Tomatoes mozzarella &
Balsamic Reduction
Served with Au Gratin Potatoes
and Seasonal Vegetable Medley
$18
Beer Battered
Walleye Sandwich
Leinie’s battered with lettuce,
tomato, onion, tartar, fresh
lemon on a warm hoagie with
chips & a pickle
$16
Deluxe Garden
Bar & Soup
$12
(should be something for everyone)

7:30 or later head back to bar area and discuss the rest of the evening.

Please PM Deb Dahl if you are planning on attending so I can get West Wind a final count by June 23rd.

THANK YOU!
Again, we are counting on word of mouth and social media so please help with that!!

06/09/2017

Updated list of classmates that we need help reaching. Heather Barron, Jeff Branchfield, Chad Christanson, Lynne Dix, Paul Hanley, Richard Karras, KeaLynn Kees, Leo Langlois, Kim Larson, Randy Leen, Kathleen Leonard, Jeff Olson, Joe Parsons, Gaylen Paulsen, Greg Paulson, Michael Schmitz, Matt Stohl, Jeff Wait, Todd Hakes, Marianne Dohnalek, Fay Pechacek, Paul Schmidt, Sheryl Szitta. Our goal is for everyone to know about the reunion. Thanks for your help reaching out to anyone on this list or that we went to school with. Hope to hear back from more people by June 23rd. Deb

06/04/2017

Ok 30 year reunion peeps! I need your help. These are the classmates I am unable to reach (I don't believe have facebook) and would like them to find out about our reunion. Please help!
Michelle Barness, Heather Barron, Neal Burchartdt, Jeff Branchfield, Steve Burmood, Todd Cernhous, Chad Christanson, Brad Clark, Ed Cobian, Lynne Dix, Tawnya Draper, Nanette Eberharft, Elizabeth Ficek, Dawn Funke, Mike Frederick, Peter Freyhotz, Paul Hanley, Wendie, Hansen, Jeff Hines, LeeAnn Hoopman, Shaun Hudson, Sheri Huppert, Richard Karras, KeaLynn Kees, Leo Langlois, Jodi Larson, Kim Larson, Randy Leen, Kathleen Leonard, Jon Levi, Jessa Loida, Melssa Matteson, Chip Norden, Laurie Nowak, Jeff Olson, Richard Olson, Bridget Parslow, Joe Parons Gaylen Paulsen, Greg Paulson, Dan Robey,Mark Schmidt, Michael Schmitz, Matt Stohl, Todd Swanson,Dan Tronrud, Stacy Vezina, Jeff Wait, Matt Woiwode, Tim Anderson, Jack Bettendorf, Debbie Cook, Lisa Diess, Todd Hakes, Maurianne Dohnalek, Jack McLagen, Fay Pechackek, Alicia Robinson,Paul Schmidt, Sheryl Szitta, Jodie Wanner, Ryan Zip.
THANKS alot!!!

06/02/2017

Please get back to Deb (Hoffman) Dahl at the end of June if you will be attending the 1987 class reunion or not. THANK YOU! again - please reach out to anyone that we went to school with so they know. I can not find 62 of our classmates on Facebook.

05/05/2017

July 8th
West Wind Supper Club
5:30 pm meet in bar area to catch up and have a cocktail (if that is your thing)
6:30 pm sit in reserved seating area for us

The limited menu options for us that night are:
Saturday Night Buffet
Includes deluxe
Garden Bar & Soup
$18
West Wind
Steak Sirloin
7oz sirloin topped with a
roasted corn Salsa Served with
Au Gratin Potatoes and
Seasonal Vegetable Medley
$21
Chicken Bruschetta
6oz breast with fresh basil,
Roasted Tomatoes mozzarella &
Balsamic Reduction
Served with Au Gratin Potatoes
and Seasonal Vegetable Medley
$18
Beer Battered
Walleye Sandwich
Leinie’s battered with lettuce,
tomato, onion, tartar, fresh
lemon on a warm hoagie with
chips & a pickle
$16
Deluxe Garden
Bar & Soup
$12
(should be something for everyone)

7:30 or later head back to bar area and discuss the rest of the evening.

Please PM me if you are planning on attending so I can get West Wind a final count by June 23rd.

THANK YOU!
Again, we are counting on word of mouth and social media so please help with that!!

04/19/2017

******. I think this page has been hacked. Do not click on any links from any emails you receive. Type in www.Facebook.com or just go to the page from your app. I went through recent "likes" to the page and deleted one person who seemed fictitious and we should probably make it a closed page. Kelly.

Create an account or log into Facebook. Connect with friends, family and other people you know. Share photos and videos, send messages and get updates.