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     John Mozingo Guest |
Fulfilling wishes By Scott Schultz Assistant Editor PITTSVILLE -- Before three years ago, Brigid O’Donoghue’s expertise had been in the commercial deer and deer feeding business. She’s added making dreams come true to her resume -- the result of the nonprofit United Special Sportsmen Alliance that she founded from her home in Jackson County. Ms. O’Donoghue, 39, had visited with many hunters and game farm owners through her work in the commercial deer feed business. Knowing about her contacts, a friend asked her whether she knew anyone who could help find a hunt for a Texas man who had pancreatic cancer. Feeling out of her element with such a request, Ms. O’Donoghue contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “They said they don’t work with hunting,” Ms. O’Donoghue said. “I said, ‘if Make-A-Wish won’t do it, I will.’ ” She didn’t give up on the idea and found a game farm owner who was more than happy to help out the dying man. A hunt was planned and Ms. O’Donoghue’s focus changed along the way. “As I was driving to see him, it was a really compelling feeling for me to understand some things,” she said. “What do you say to a person who’s dying with cancer?” She said she didn’t expect many of the feelings she had, starting with the warmth of satisfaction over the happiness that she saw in the man’s face after he’d participated in the hunt. More than anything, though, she said it didn’t take her long to realize that there are reasons for some things that happen in a person’s life. She’d had viral encephalitis as a child, which left her with some of her own disabilities. She needed brain surgery to stop seizures that started after the infection, and that surgery left her with speech problems. “I did many, many years of speech therapy and once was told that I’d probably never be able to hold a job. I’ve also had cancer and beaten that,” she said. “I know the smell of a hospital because I’ve been in so many of them. I know what it’s like to be sad and depressed.” Ms. O’Donoghue said she’s sure she was given those experiences so she could better understand the need to grant hunting wishes for people who are terminally ill or disabled. Remembering the satisfaction of organizing that first hunt, she went looking for others who would benefit from similar experiences and for other land owners who would provide hunts. Terminally ill children would be the focus of her efforts, she decided -- though people of any age would be welcome to participate. The USSA is offering hunts, fishing trips, camping trips or canoeing adventures. Ms. O’Donoghue said she visits as many as 1,500 game farms as president Bio-Tec Research Inc. and Buckhorn Trophy Products (based between Pittsville and Black River Falls). Finding places to hunt and people to work with participants on their hunts hasn’t been a problem. Finding financial support to get participants to the hunt also hasn’t been a problem, she added. Companies such as the Wisconsin Rapids-based Northland Cranberries and the Matthews Solocam outdoors equipment company have been among the leaders in offering needed financial help, she said. “It’s amazing to me that, even with the cranberry markets the way they are, the people at Northland Cranberries have cared enough to come forward and help,” Ms. O’Donoghue said. Taxidermists have offered their services for game harvested by participants. And Ms. O’Donoghue started to receive offers for hunts. Ms. O’Donoghue said she realized from people’s reactions that there was plenty to offer for terminally ill and disabled people of any age. The problem, she quickly realized, could be in finding ways for potential participants to find her services. A friend suggested that she contact the North Carolina-based “John Boy and Billy ‘The Big Show’” radio show, which is heard on 400 American radio stations. Ms. O’Donoghue said she had nothing to lose by making a call to the show. The show’s hosts accepted her cause, and she found herself being heard on coast-to-coast radio stations. “It got crazy after that,” she said. What previously had been a relative trickle of hunt offers turned into a deluge of offers. And more requests started coming from potential participants. Still, Ms. O’Donoghue said there is plenty of awareness that can be done. The national exposure from the radio show led to national health and hunting publications’ stories about the USSA. Though the exposure has been effective, the USSA has been left with many more hunts available than participants who have asked to use them. The hunts include a recent offer from Safari Club International for hunts anywhere in the world. “The number of hunts I have is far more than the number of participants,” she said. “I know there are people out there who would like to use them, but it’s a matter of them finding us. “There are so many generous people out there. We’ve found a lot of wonderful men offering hunts; they have the biggest hearts that you’d ever imagine.” Ms. O’Donoghue said she’s discovered plenty of generosity from people through her project. She’s also discovered a new passion for hunting. “I’d never hunted before three years ago,” she said. “Now, I’m going with these people on hunts all over the country.” Increasing numbers of participants are finding the USSA to take advantage of the donated hunts coordinated by Ms. O’Donoghue and her USSA. They’re calling, writing and e-mailing. In some cases, Ms. O’Donoghue is finding participants in unlikely places. “I’m finding a lot of the kids by accident,” she said. “I found one while I was dropping off brochures in a sport shop. We set up a boar hunt for him, and he died a few days after he bagged a boar.” Wishes of those with little hope are being fulfilled, which Ms. O’Donoghue said is itself a source of satisfaction. But most her satisfaction comes most from a hug and a simple smile. That satisfaction has been enough payment to make her efforts worthwhile, she said. “They don’t owe me anything,” she said. “I owe them for just letting me be there with them.” Information about the USSA’s offerings is available through the mail at USSA, 7864 Shotwell Road, Pittsville, WI, 54446; via telephone at (715) 884-2256; or via e-mail at biotec@tds.net. Information also is available on the Web at www.deerfood.com. Scott Schultz may be reached at scott.schultz@ ecpc.com. | ||
| Anonymous |
It's nice to see SCI helping them out. I just recently became a SCI member myselfand it's nice to see their participation. I saw you on the news sat. Brigid with some of your kids. Keep up the good work! |
