SCI-Lake Superior Chapter has sponsored terminally ill kids on the Make A wish/Hunt of A lifetime program for the past 18 years.
“This year we took three special young hunters black bear hunting in the north woods of Wisconsin, all three taking very nice black bears,” reported Chapter Director Jay Link.
One of the young hunters tells his story:
“My name is David (Jimenez). I am 12 years old. In March of 2019 I was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. After months of procedures, I received the news that I would be invited to go on a hunt of a lifetime.
“I never thought my first hunting experience would be hunting a bear. This was an amazing adventure with very nice people who helped me to completely forget about my cancer diagnosis. Driving through narrow dirt roads, listening to the dogs barking in the back of the pickup, and chasing down every lead was unbelievable.
“In the last six months, all I ever dealt with were needles and hospital visits, surgeries, scars and medicine that made me feel sick every day. Hunting a bear was very different. Resting at the cabin in Wisconsin by the lake made me forget about all the pills I had to take every day.
“Chasing down bear tracks with the windows wide open made me forget about all the weeks I felt weak and when I lost all my hair. Running through the woods with a bear ahead of us made me forget about the bulky leg braces I had to wear for months because of the neuropathy.
“And when that bear fell from the top of the tree and hit against the ground below, I felt very lucky, because very few people ever see something like that happen in front of their eyes. It was better than any documentary on TV. It was amazing. Thank you so much to USSA and SCI-Lake Superior Chapter and Link's Wild Safari – Jay Link for making all this happen!”
