Dennis
Talk about a Thanksgiving that changed the way we look at life and people. We went to Walmart to pick up a few things. We were not there long before realizing it was no place for a child in a wheelchair, thanks to Black Friday. After leaving Walmart, we headed to Tanger Outlets. While waiting for a store to open, Boyd (my husband) and a gentleman, David Kilgore, started talking about the craziness of Walmart on Black Friday. Mr. Kilgore asked to meet Dennis, our disabled son.
David said, “Dennis, my name is David Kilgore and I run Kilgore’s Kids. We take special kids hunting and fishing. Is this something that you would be interested in?”
Dennis immediately said yes.
Mr. Kilgore told us the story about how and why he started Kilgore’s Kids. By the end of that, Boyd and I were both crying. I stepped into our car to gather myself and check on Dennis and our little girl. Dennis was crying too. He had heard the story Mr. Kilgore told us. We stood talking for a few minutes, exchanged phone numbers and email addresses then went our separate ways.
The day before Christmas, Mr. Kilgore called to see if Dennis wanted to go hunting. He said he already had the shooting bench and everything custom made just for Dennis. Dennis was extremely excited. Boyd and Dennis went to the Kilgore’s home to practice with the bench and adaptive trigger Mr. Kilgore had made. After some adjustments to the equipment, they went hunting and had a couple deer come close but could not take a shot.
The next weekend, they tried a different spot. Dennis was so excited, he was ready an hour before it was time to leave. I asked him what he was so excited about. Dennis said, “I’m going to do something my body can’t stop me from doing.” This time, they sat in a pop-up blind in a big grass field. Once they got settled in, Boyd and Mr. Kilgore checked the equipment and got set up for a shot where they expected the deer to approach. Thirty minutes later, the deer started showing up and Dennis was excited to get to see his first deer through the custom scope mounted phone. A few minutes later, a buck came and out. They used the remote controls to get the gun in position. Dennis tapped the button that controlled the trigger and as soon as he did, the buck dropped in its tracks. Dennis shot an 8-point buck at 200 yards.
No longer being limited, Dennis can now hunt with his adaptive equipment. He came home that night with a glitter in his eyes and a new passion for hunting. He has been watching hunting videos ever since and wants to know what else they can go hunt. We have not seen Dennis this happy in many years.
Now Dennis is an amazing 16-year-old who has had the odds stacked against him since day one. He was born at 26 weeks old and the doctors said if he made it home there would be a 50/50 chance of him having cerebral palsy, which he does. Dennis has had 10 brain surgeries and leg lengthening procedures.
We were blessed by God to have this amazing group of people come into our lives. They help these special kids accomplish things by taking away their limits and putting them on an even playing field. Making it happen for them one way or another. I am forever grateful for Kilgore’s Kids. They gave me my son back.
If you want something worth donating to, consider Kilgore’s Kids. It is so worth the smiles that they put on the kids’ faces. They go the extra mile to help overcome the limitations and ensure success while creating lasting memories.