Max
12-05-2003, 11:29 AM
Couple married at hospital after his paralyzing accident
By LAURA POLLAND
Tribune Staff Writer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tribune Photo by Stuart S. White
Rosanne and Lennard Rains were married in the Benefis ICU Thursday.
How to help
To donate to Lennard Rains' medical expenses, send checks to:
Send donations fund to D.A. Davidson, Attn: Mike Gates, PO Box 5015, Great Falls, MT 59403.
Fund-raisers will be:
An auction, 1 p.m. Dec. 20, at Raz's Equestrian Center, 5145 Lake Helena Drive, Helena, MT 59602; (406) 227-1246.
Dinner, dance and auction, 3 p.m. Feb. 14, Lyons Hall in Simms; (406) 264-5609.
A spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down was not enough to derail Lennard Rains' plans for a December wedding with his sweetheart, Rosanne (Lots) Rains.
The couple was married Thursday in a small ceremony among friends at Benefis Healthcare where he is recovering from a vehicle accident.
"It's something he wanted to do," said Rosanne Rains, who wore a cream-colored suit, red velvet blouse and sparkling poinsettia jewelry.
The groom wore a cowboy hat and T-shirt printed to look like a tuxedo. His tracheotomy tube was removed so he could say "I do" aloud. After the ceremony, a nurse helped him celebrate with vanilla ice cream.
Lennard Rains, a well-known Simms horse trainer, rolled his truck near Hobson Nov. 15.
Although he has no feeling in his limbs, doctors have found nerve reactions when tapping his knees -- a very good sign, Rosanne said.
The couple had planned to marry in December, at a friend's ranch in Simms. Two weeks ago they decided to go ahead with a wedding, waiting only until he was taken off the ventilator.
Lennard had been accepted for an experimental treatment in Tel Aviv, Israel, two weeks ago, but was not stable enough to fly, Rosanne said. They now plan to go to Craig Hospital, a spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation and research center in Englewood, Colo. They plan to fly down once his blood pressure is stable enough.
Lennard is a native of Colorado. Rosanne, a native of Great Falls, said they both have family in the Denver area. His parents, who still live there, attended the wedding via conference call.
His family always had horses, and several of his breeding horses have been moved to Colorado where they will foal in the spring, she said.
Lennard is a respected breeder and trainer who has an easy way with horses, said Joyce McDonald, a longtime friend and the spokesperson for the Montana Quarter Horse Association.
McDonald said his credentials include judge's cards in the National Appaloosa Association, Buckskin Association, National Reining Horse Association, National Reined Cowhorse Association and American Quarter Horse Association. He is also a member of the AQHA's professional horseman's association, she said.
"Lennard is really a neat guy. He's very kind-hearted, very helpful to other people. You never hear him say a bad word about anyone," McDonald said.
After the accident, McDonald sent an e-mail to friends in the quarter horse community. After a flood of calls and e-mails, she started sending periodic updates in a group e-mail which has grown from 18 recipients to nearly 50. "It just keeps growing and growing," she said.
McDonald prints the e-mails she receives for Lennard and brings them to the hospital. "It helps his spirits a lot to know people are thinking about him and care," she said.
Some of Rains' cattle and horses are being sold to defray medical expenses. D.A. Davidson has set up a donation fund, and there are two benefit auctions planned.
Rosanne said she and Lennard met through match.com, an online dating site. Each has two grown sons from previous marriages.
Email this story
Originally published Friday, December 5, 2003
Home | News | Entertainment | Communities | Directories
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20031205/localnews/766569.html
By LAURA POLLAND
Tribune Staff Writer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tribune Photo by Stuart S. White
Rosanne and Lennard Rains were married in the Benefis ICU Thursday.
How to help
To donate to Lennard Rains' medical expenses, send checks to:
Send donations fund to D.A. Davidson, Attn: Mike Gates, PO Box 5015, Great Falls, MT 59403.
Fund-raisers will be:
An auction, 1 p.m. Dec. 20, at Raz's Equestrian Center, 5145 Lake Helena Drive, Helena, MT 59602; (406) 227-1246.
Dinner, dance and auction, 3 p.m. Feb. 14, Lyons Hall in Simms; (406) 264-5609.
A spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down was not enough to derail Lennard Rains' plans for a December wedding with his sweetheart, Rosanne (Lots) Rains.
The couple was married Thursday in a small ceremony among friends at Benefis Healthcare where he is recovering from a vehicle accident.
"It's something he wanted to do," said Rosanne Rains, who wore a cream-colored suit, red velvet blouse and sparkling poinsettia jewelry.
The groom wore a cowboy hat and T-shirt printed to look like a tuxedo. His tracheotomy tube was removed so he could say "I do" aloud. After the ceremony, a nurse helped him celebrate with vanilla ice cream.
Lennard Rains, a well-known Simms horse trainer, rolled his truck near Hobson Nov. 15.
Although he has no feeling in his limbs, doctors have found nerve reactions when tapping his knees -- a very good sign, Rosanne said.
The couple had planned to marry in December, at a friend's ranch in Simms. Two weeks ago they decided to go ahead with a wedding, waiting only until he was taken off the ventilator.
Lennard had been accepted for an experimental treatment in Tel Aviv, Israel, two weeks ago, but was not stable enough to fly, Rosanne said. They now plan to go to Craig Hospital, a spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation and research center in Englewood, Colo. They plan to fly down once his blood pressure is stable enough.
Lennard is a native of Colorado. Rosanne, a native of Great Falls, said they both have family in the Denver area. His parents, who still live there, attended the wedding via conference call.
His family always had horses, and several of his breeding horses have been moved to Colorado where they will foal in the spring, she said.
Lennard is a respected breeder and trainer who has an easy way with horses, said Joyce McDonald, a longtime friend and the spokesperson for the Montana Quarter Horse Association.
McDonald said his credentials include judge's cards in the National Appaloosa Association, Buckskin Association, National Reining Horse Association, National Reined Cowhorse Association and American Quarter Horse Association. He is also a member of the AQHA's professional horseman's association, she said.
"Lennard is really a neat guy. He's very kind-hearted, very helpful to other people. You never hear him say a bad word about anyone," McDonald said.
After the accident, McDonald sent an e-mail to friends in the quarter horse community. After a flood of calls and e-mails, she started sending periodic updates in a group e-mail which has grown from 18 recipients to nearly 50. "It just keeps growing and growing," she said.
McDonald prints the e-mails she receives for Lennard and brings them to the hospital. "It helps his spirits a lot to know people are thinking about him and care," she said.
Some of Rains' cattle and horses are being sold to defray medical expenses. D.A. Davidson has set up a donation fund, and there are two benefit auctions planned.
Rosanne said she and Lennard met through match.com, an online dating site. Each has two grown sons from previous marriages.
Email this story
Originally published Friday, December 5, 2003
Home | News | Entertainment | Communities | Directories
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20031205/localnews/766569.html