Waterfall Wishes Become a Reality for Autistic Maple Grove Girl

Each year, the Segedy family in Maple Grove makes the trip to the Home and Garden Show in Minneapolis.

“We have done this for a few years now, as we have a daughter with autism and she loves the summer landscaping and water features on display,” Heidi Segedy said.

For her daughter, six-year-old Nora who has autism, water has become a source of comfort.

At this year’s show, the family ended up meeting Kevin Johnson, owner of Landscape and Water Creations in Bloomington.

“…He had a beautiful water feature display that our Nora just loved,” Heidi said. “We talked to the guys there, but we had a small budget. We talked back and forth and then we left.”

As the family prepared to leave the show, Heidi said Johnson “tracked us down” and talked to her husband Matt about a donation for the family.

“Who goes anywhere expecting this type of generously?” she said. “It’s remarkable!”

Johnson, along with Urban Landworks owner Matt Jensen, formulated a plan to not only donate the landscaping and waterfall creation along with their labor, but partnered with several suppliers to donate materials. Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies, Versa-Lok Midwest and Stone & Steel Design all donated toward the project.

What started out as a waterfall idea ended up evolving to including a patio and engraved rocks for the two children – Nora and Bergie. In all, the estimated $7,000 project was finished for the Maple Grove family in a matter of days last week.

“It’s hard to accept something this generous. It’s absolutely beautiful," Heidi said, commenting Nora was “enamored” by the waterfall. 

Both Urban Landworks and Landscape and Water Creations have taken on donation projects in the past, including helping a family devastated by tornadoes last year. According to Jensen, they choose one project a year to donate.