Caring Through Generations
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Our first patient: Minnie Stoa
Minnie Stoa never intended to be a celebrity, but on Feb. 25, 1908, she became the first patient at St. Luke's Hospital, now MeritCare. The 16-year-old from Buxton, N.D. desperately needed an emergency appendectomy.
Minnie suffered a perforated (ruptured) appendix, a serious condition that in her day was a common cause for death. Without timely treatment, life-threatening infection could spread throughout the abdomen and into the entire body. Today, antibiotics can successfully fight the infection, but in the early 1900s, antibiotics were still in their infancy.
The emergent nature of Minnie's condition was clear to MeritCare's founding physicians, Dr. Olaf Sand and Dr. Nils Tronnes. They and hundreds of others had gathered for the grand opening ceremony of St. Luke's. Just as the program began, Dr. Sand and Dr. Tronnes learned of Minnie's arrival and her situation. They left immediately, missing the program but ultimately saving a young life. Minnie's emergency appendectomy was successful.
It's not known how many days Minnie needed to be hospitalized following her emergency surgery, but we do know she fully recovered and went on to live a long and fulfilling life. In 1914, she married Oscar Christopherson. The couple had four children and numerous grandchildren.
Minnie's place in MeritCare's history will long be remembered, but for Dr. Glenn Thoreson, a board-certified family doctor at MeritCare Valley, Minnie was more than MeritCare's first patient – she was his aunt. "How ironic," he says. "My oldest aunt's youngest nephew has been with MeritCare for over 37 years. A nice coincidence? A wonderful place to work." And for Minnie? A wonderful place to receive care.