Today we went to the Project Healing Waters Stars and
Stripers fly fishing tournament. Justin wasn’t in the tournament part since he
was in it last year (and won 3rd place), but he did do some fishing.
Being out there today made me think about last year and how far Justin’s come
since then. Last year’s tournament was Justin’s first fishing trip with PHW. He
had only been out of the hospital about a month, and it was probably one of the
first really good memories that we made post-injury…and likely, one of the
first pleasant things Justin actually remembers during his time at Walter Reed
(the heavy pain medications caused him not to remember the majority of the
first 6-8 weeks post injury). We didn’t have our vehicle up here yet, so we
caught a ride on the PHW van. Justin was in a wheelchair and had to transfer
from the chair on the dock to the boat. Then they carried his chair onto the
boat and he was pretty much stuck in one place to fish. It did him a world of
good to get away from Walter Reed and get out in the fresh air and sunshine
doing one of his favorite hobbies. And if that wasn’t good enough, the
tournament was held the weekend before his birthday, so it was like an early
birthday treat to get to fish.
(Justin and his guide at last year's tournament)
Fast forward a year. This morning, we woke up before the
sun and got ready. Then we went out to our truck and Justin drove (with his
special hand control adaptations) to the marina. We left the wheelchair behind
and Justin walked in his prosthetics all day and move around the fishing boat
as needed. We saw many familiar faces from last year’s tournament. After the tournament
last year, the local newspapers ran an article about it, and the lady from the
marina saved some copies for us and gave them to us today. It was so nice of
her to hold onto those papers for a year, not knowing if we’d even be there.
While Justin was fishing, Corey and I went on the tour boat and enjoyed being
on the water. The boat captain brought us around so that we could see Justin
and the other participants. We happened to be near Justin when he caught one of
his fish. On the way back, it started to sprinkle, and by the time the rest of
the boats got back, it was pour. The rain didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. We
all just squeezed a little closer at the tables that were under the awnings to
eat our lunch. Justin had forgotten to take his meds until afternoon, so we
ended up leaving before the awards were presented because his legs were
hurting. Hopefully our Walter Reed representative placed!
One of the big mantras with PHW is that it’s not just
about the fish, it’s about the relationships that are formed. It’s so true. The
people Justin hangs out with the most are the ones that are in PHW. One of the
most fun parts about events is catching up with people from other PHW chapters
that we had met at a different event. The majority of the people who work with
PHW are volunteers, and they work with the injured service members and veterans
on a weekly basis because they truly care. I’m so thankful for this program
which gives Justin a chance to get away from all the stresses of his rehab and
enjoy a day on the water catching fish. He’s never come back from a fishing
outing or event and said he wished he hadn’t gone. Instead, he always comes
back feeling refreshed and feeling more like himself. He has a smile on his
face and is eager for the next PHW trip.
No comments:
Post a Comment