[kameron]

Hey everyone. Last month was an extraordinary month for me and I wanted to share my experiences with you. Three years ago I came down with Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) that left me completely paralyzed and in a hospital for 6 months. When I left the hospital I was completely dependant on my parents to survive and confined to a wheel chair. I started intense physical and occupational therapy after being released and have worked my way up from an electric wheel chair, to a manual chair, to a walker, to fore-arm crutches, to a cane, and now walk independently with braces on my lower legs.

This May I was able to get back to doing something I truly enjoy doing but had been unable to do since coming down with GBS; I went turkey hunting! After all the anguish, tears, and pain I’ve experienced in the last three years it is hard to describe my sense of accomplishment in being able to get back into the woods on my own to do something I truly enjoy.

Opening morning in Missouri I was late getting out of bed and was greeted by a gobbling tom from his tree top perch as I walked into the woods. I set up my decoys just as fast and quietly as I was able to do before resting up against a big maple tree. I dug my calls out of my vest and heard the tom wing down out of his tree. 40 minutes later I harvested my first bird of the season at 20 yards. It was truly a wonderful day.

I had to wait a week before taking my second bird as required by law in Missouri. The night before I was able to try and take my second bird my brother called to let me know he was back in the state and was going to be able to hunt the next morning. We elected to do a mid morning hunt and heard that welcome sound of a gobbler almost as soon as we stepped out of the truck. After we made our way up to an old ground blind I was answered immediately when I called to the tom we’d heard. Ten minutes later, my brother and I were both surprised when four tom’s ambled into view.

My brother and I both filled a tag that day. Once again I was able to do something I truly enjoyed and got to spend some time with family. It is unfortunate that it takes something so horrible to make me learn to enjoy family and the simple things in life. Take time out for your family and to do something that you really enjoy that makes you feel alive. Life is precious, enjoy every second!
Thanks
Kameron