The All-Day Picnic Gang Rides Again

By Ellen Braun

My husband, Gene, dreamed of getting back to Canada one more time. 

In 2014, he was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse. When I asked his cardiologist in Dallas where he would go with this problem, he didn’t blink. He said, “Cleveland Clinic.” 

Dr. Griffin1 pushed for a high-risk operation, which Dr. Sabik2 performed. Cleveland Clinic gave Gene and me four more years together that we otherwise wouldn’t have had. 

The following summer, we took a 2,500-mile road trip. We crossed a few sights off our bucket list, including Mount Rushmore. Gene was upbeat and energetic. 

We made it back to Canada, too, to our place in Canmore. It’s a small town on the edge of Banff National Park, with spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies. Gene and I were notorious for our all-day picnics. We’d have fruit at Johnston Canyon, a sandwich at Lake Louise, iced tea at Peyto Lake and cookies at Lake Minnewanka. We used to say we never really ate a meal; we grazed. 

I feel very blessed to have enjoyed that extra time together. We fulfilled Gene’s dream, and I’m grateful for the fun we had. 

I can’t say enough about Cleveland Clinic. From the moment you walk through those doors, they make you feel like family. 

 

Ellen and F. Gene Braun, MD, were married 27 years. He died in 2018, the day after his 86th birthday. 

Gene and Ellen Braun standing in front of a rapid

Gene and Ellen Braun. | Photo: Courtesy of Ellen Braun

Notes

  1. Brian Griffin, MD, is Section Head of Cardiovascular Imaging.
  2. Joseph Sabik, MD, is a thoracic surgeon.