Steve Braun was always on the go; nothing could slow him down. Until the father of two learned he had a neuromuscular disease - that wouldn't slow down either. "From his diagnosis to his passing was only six months,” shares Linda Braun who was married to him for 30 years. "His speech was slurred. He woke up one morning and that's when we said, 'He needs a neurologist.'" Within 30-seconds, she recalls, doctors had a diagnosis. It was ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. "To see Steve go from a real active, hard-working man to someone who had to depend 100% on other people for help… that was hard."
Whether Steve knew it or not, he was not fighting the disease alone. A host of northern Nevadans are battling the muscular degenerative disease on his behalf - not only for a cure - but for care. Pawl and Linda Hollis own Rail City Garden Center and started ‘Water and Rails - Pond and Garden Railroad Tour’ to benefit the ALS Association Nevada Chapter a dozen years ago. Linda, too, lost her sister, Anita Franchi Follett, to the disease. "She wasn't going to just give in to it. She would walk and walk and walk - knowing there would be a time she wouldn't be able to." In her memory, they started a non-profit and created this event – a stunning and successful fundraiser for ALS patients. Water and Rails is a two day, family-friendly tour of 28 homes with the most impressive ponds and garden railroads you can imagine. From a 260,000 gallon pond that’s home to a couple hundred koi fish – to a 100-year-old caboose that now calls Verdi home. Jim Fernhoff has been working on his backyard for 11 years now and has been featured on the tour for the past several years. He plans to host roughly 200 VIP guests for dinner under the stars Saturday night. He is honored to be part of this growing tour, "Such a great event for such a great cause."
Funds raised will help Neurologist, Dr. Tim Louie and a team of physicians continue their efforts at the only ALS clinic in northern Nevada - where a variety of specialties doctors come straight to the patients. ALS patients can be seen the last Friday of every month on the sixth floor of Saint Mary’s in the Center for Neurovascular and Stroke Care. "Physical therapists to durable medical equipment people to speech therapists." Have streamlined care helps patients and families cope with the devastating diagnosis. "When people ask me why or how they got it, my simple answer is rotten luck," says Dr. Louie. Rotten luck for patients and their loved ones, but they are surrounding themselves with beauty this weekend to fight one ugly disease.
The Water and Rails - Pond and Garden Railroad Tour is this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to f p.m. both days. Tickets are $25 or $35 for two and children are free. VIP tickets are still available for Saturday night’s dinner – which will feature auction items and dancing.
You can buy tickets at http://www.waterandrails.org/tickets.
You can also purchase tickets in person at the following locations:
Rail City Garden Center
1720 Brierley Way
Sparks, NV 89434
OR
MacLean Financial Group
1325 Airmotive Way, Suite 390
Reno, NV 89502
Your entry fee will include a wristband to wear on the tour.
To schedule an appointment at the ALS Clinic at Saint Mary’s Center for Neurovascular & Stroke Care, call (775) 770-3554.
