A Full-Circle Moment: Baby Allara Returns to First Care Health Center
Nearly nine months after an unforgettable arrival, baby Allara is back at First Care Health Center (FCHC). This time Allara is all smiles as she is held by her mother alongside Dr. Joel Johnson, the doctor who delivered her.
On May 30, 2025, Samantha Kartes of Langdon was 34 weeks pregnant when she arrived at FCHC with pain and contractions. It quickly became clear there wasn’t time to get her to the nearest labor and delivery unit, nearly 60 miles away. Allara was coming now, right there in the emergency room!
What happened next showed small-town medicine at its best.
Doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, and pharmacy staff all pitched in to deliver the baby safely. Allara was breech, or feet-first, which made the delivery especially tricky.
Dr. Johnson was walking out the back clinic door, headed to his son Jeffrey’s wedding rehearsal dinner, when he was called back to the emergency room. As it turned out, Jeffrey is now an OB GYN in Fargo. So before the rehearsal dinner even started, Dr. Johnson called his son for help, and Jeffrey talked his dad through the delivery.
Between the team on the ground and a son guiding his father over the phone, Allara was delivered safely in Park River.
She was kept warm in a special infant warmer that FCHC was able to purchase thanks to donations from the 2024 Giving Hearts Day campaign. An infant warmer like this makes all the difference for a baby who arrives early, especially in an emergency.
Afterward, Allara was transferred to Altru Health System in Grand Forks, where she spent time in the NICU. Both Allara and Samantha recovered fully and were able to go home together.
Today, Allara is a happy, healthy little girl. She was back at the clinic with her parents, Samantha and Danny Kartes, for a well child visit. Allara took a lap around FCHC to thank the team for stepping up when they needed it most.
It’s a story that says as much about the town as it does about the team. The people who cared for Allara that day weren’t just skilled providers. They’re neighbors. Many grew up in this area, chose to build their careers here, and know the families they treat by name. That’s the heart of small-town medicine: real expertise, delivered by people who are personally invested in the community they serve.
“I’m thankful that Samantha and Allara are both doing well,” Dr. Johnson said. “I don’t have a lot more hair I can afford to lose. And my own kid is happy I made it to the wedding!”
Stories like Allara’s are why First Care Health Center is here, ready for whatever the moment calls for. It is an honor to serve our patients, their families, and communities by providing professional care with a personal touch — all day, every day, all year.