Elizabeth Doney Havre Daily News edoney@havredailynews.com
A Benefit Spaghetti Dinner for Brenda Nelson will be held Saturday at the Havre Eagles Club from noon to 3 p. m. to defray the costs of open heart surgery. Their humanitarian service is followed by the Havre Masonic Lodge No. 55, which also contributed to Nelson’s cause with neighbor in need assistance last month. Eagles Club members have taken on the planning and hosting of the event to benefit Nelson as part of their mission of “people helping people.” Nelson’s fiancee Kevin Anderson is the president of the Eagles Club and will accompany Nelson along with her parents on the drive to Salt Lake City for the open heart surgery. All-you-can-eat spaghetti, salad and garlic toast will be accompanied by a silent auction with many prizes donated by the local businesses. Items available for auction include: diamond earrings from JM Donoven, a free night’s stay at AmericInn, a magazine stand from Valley Furniture, HP All-In-One Copier Printer Scanner Fax, artwork from Creative Leisure, pizza from Pizza Hut, a tent, golf bag, book, watch and more items will still come in from private donations. Nelson is a residential appraising trainee currently working at Anderson Appraising who hopes to be done with her appraising license sometime this year. As an infant, Nelson has already endured and survived two heart surgeries and another one when she was 8 years old. The five-hour open heart surgery that she will be undergoing in the next month will remove an aneurysm and repair the narrowing of the aorta, which directs blood into the heart. Recovery time is anticipated to be three days to a week, but may take up to a month. “I don’t want to go I know that,” Nelson said of her surgery. “Everything is up to God. We are not sure yet when the surgery will take place. We are basically waiting for the phone call to tell us when an appointment is available.” Anyone can attend the Eagles Club benefit dinner for Nelson. For more information or to donate to the cause, please call Tom at 265-9551.
