Santa Train, Railroad Museum making special delivery for cancer patients

The one thing scarier for a child than not being home at Christmas is to be fighting cancer at the same time.

But it's a reality for a number of Northern Nevada children and their families this year.

That's why Friends of the Nevada State Railroad Museum (FNSRM), a Carson City-based 501(c) registered non-profit whose purpose is to support the Nevada State Railroad Museum (NSRM), decided to fund a special Santa Train this Christmas season for children battling cancer.

Rebecca Bevans, PhD, an FNRSM board member, volunteer and adjunct faculty member at Western Nevada College, said she came up with the idea after hearing the story of her boss's three-year-old child, who is battling leukemia.

"We were talking and I asked if they were going to be coming to the Santa Train during the holiday season," she said. "He informed me that even though she was doing better, her immune system is still weakened, and she should not be around the general public for fear of increasing the likelihood of catching a cold or the flu."

Dr. Bevans said she felt bad for the child, because the little girl would be unable to share in the same Christmas joys as other children.

"I thought that was very unfair for these kids who have already gone through so much," she said. "So being the chair of the Events Committee for the Friends of the Nevada State Railroad Museum, I approached the committee and asked them if they would be willing and able to do something special for these kids. Because we have such an amazing group of volunteers, they were excited for the opportunity to offer a special train for these special kids."

Bevans said all that was really needed to make it happen was the museum director's approval, since the trains are operated by an all-volunteer crew already.

Now every Saturday since the Santa Train first pulled into the Wabuska Station on Dec. 3 for the Christmas season, she said, there has been a special train reserved just for medically ill children whose weakened immune systems require them to have their own space.

The last Santa Train leaves the depot this weekend, Dec. 17-18, and the final special train for pediatric patients is this Saturday.

Bevans said having a separate train for pediatric patients is critical given their medical needs, because compromised immune systems can put them at greater risk of becoming sicker than they already are.

"Our immune systems are responsible for protecting our bodies against foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria," Dr. Bevans said. "Children with compromised immune systems, or immune systems that are not fully functioning, are at greater risk for contracting illnesses like a cold or a flu."

She said medically ill children, particularly those dealing with cancer, have a significantly more difficult time fighting off viruses and infections, which can actually cause more complications to their weakened bodies.

"Being around the public, especially during cold and flu season, just increases the possibility of contracting a cold or the flu," she said. "These families don't want to put their children at risk so they often must forgo going out in public and pass up on participating in events."

Bevans said the NSRM volunteers have been working diligently during the holidays to ensure the trains are disinfected property and free of germs for their special passengers. This means entering each train car and wiping down the entire space with a disinfectant to kill bacteria and viruses.

All of the volunteers selected for duty on the special Santa Trains are also healthy and free of sniffles and stomachaches, she said.

Even Santa Claus himself takes extra precautions by wearing clean gloves.

Because the trains are owned by the NSRM, operated completely by a volunteer staff, and fuel for the engines is donated, there are no additional costs for running the extra train for pediatric patients.

"The volunteers are happy to be able to run an additional train for these special kids and their families," Bevans said. "I can speak for all the volunteers when I say that it's our pleasure to be able to do this for these families."

Tickets to ride the special train have already been purchased by Artsy Fartsy Art Gallery, which covered children's fares, and the Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Foundation, which took care of the adult tickets, Bevans said.

Dr. Bevans said the special passengers on board the special Santa Train also get a little something extra special with their tickets: Christmas gifts generously donated by the Friends of the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Artsy Fartsy Art Gallery, John Hancock Investments, and Webster Wealth Management.

Bevans said the FNSRM is already planning to do the special Santa Train again next year, and it's hopeful to be able to include many other children battling rare medical conditions and sensitive health issues.

"We will definitely be offering this special train next year," she said. "We are always open to ideas and would love to help serve those children who have not been able to participate in the past."

To help ensure that the NSRM is able to provide an experience to as many special needs children as possible, Dr. Bevans said that donations from the community go a long way toward keeping the trains running strong all year around for optimal enjoyment.

"Because of generous donations from the community, the Friends are able to continue to operate the trains," she said. "We happily accept donations so that we may keep these programs going and that we can expand our programs."

Donations from the community provide fuel for the engines, she said, along with supplies and material for restoration and maintenance of the trains, as well as events and programs for the community.

"I encourage everyone who has never been on the Santa Train to come down to the museum and take a ride," she said. "To ride in a restored coach, pulled by a historic steam engine is really a magical experience."

But there is limited space available, even aboard the special Santa Train, to enjoy a magical ride on an historic steam train carrying the world's jolliest spirit.

Dr. Bevans advises that parents or guardians of pediatric patients still need to reserve seats ahead of time because the event does tend to fill up rather quickly, especially for the Santa Train's final weekend.

To reserve a space on this Saturday's final special Santa Train of the Christmas season, please contact the museum directly.

Online reservations are recommended for the general public Santa Trains, Bevans said, and can be purchased by going online here.

Folks are advised to purchase tickets in advance of the upcoming final weekend of the Santa Train to ensure a spot before Saint Nicholas heads back to the North Pole for his busiest night of the year.

For more information about the NSRM in Carson City, visit its web site here or find it on Facebook here.

To get involved with the FNRSM, visit its web site here.