Big Deal Will
I want to tell you about Will Roberts. He’s like you and me, a turkey hunter, an outdoor enthusiast, someone who wants to enjoy life doing the things he loves. We all expect to have plenty of time to do those things. Except, Will doesn’t have that luxury.
When he was 14, Will was diagnosed with cancer, and it spread all over his body. He lost his leg due to cancer and had to quit playing baseball, but he still hasn’t stopped. This spring, he harvested his first wild turkey. He got on his mom’s social media account and made a plea for help so he could continue doing the things he loves, and it spread faster than the cancer coursing through his body. He needed a type of drug that could get him well enough for chemotherapy, but it was so expensive and rare, not everyone can get it.
Will’s message and request went to the top – meaning it reached some of the most powerful people in the U.S., including the president. Within a week, the money was raised for the medication and a trip to California was in order, the only place that has the healing drug. Will is there now as this is written, saying on social media, “I never thought I’d be out here (in California), but I’m here, taking a medication to save my life. … I miss home so much.”
Will has his own turkey call named the “Big Deal Will,” made by Black Label Game Calls. All proceeds from the call go to help fund Will’s medical and travel expenses. Russell Andrews, who runs the company, helped Will harvest his first turkey before the trip to California. Russell said Will wanted to stay and hunt turkeys more, but they had to talk him into going West.
Will is a smart kid, though, and knew he had to go. He’s a fighter, forced to accept his terms against insurmountable odds. Even with this new medication, there are no certainties, and that’s something Will, now 15, seems to understand better than most of us.
Let’s think about Will this summer and into hunting seasons in the future. We wish him the best, hoping to see him in a turkey camp next spring. As Tom Kelly once wrote, “I’m glad I lived to see it – one more time.” That’s all any of us can ask for.