Guest
column: Rep. Mark Bryant District 110 - Part of Gray and part of Windham
Summer is the best time of year for big family gatherings.
In my family, the emphasis is on big. I grew up in
an old-fashioned large family with nine siblings,
and my wife and I have three sons of our own. When
you start factoring in my nieces, nephews, aunts,
uncles and cousins, you need more than a few picnic
tables to accommodate a Bryant family reunion.
With so many people, you can be sure that there's
a wide spectrum of political views. One of my brothers,
Bruce, is a state senator from Oxford County, so it's
kind of like being at a small town meeting. But what
always unites us is the fact that we are a family,
and no matter what any one of us believes on a particular
issue, family always comes first.
I cannot even fathom what it would be like to have
one of my own kids or my nieces or nephews have a
life-threatening disease. But I know that the entire
family would band together to do whatever we could
to help.
Even with strong, supportive families and the best
doctors, there are still some illnesses that unfortunately
threaten the lives of children. It breaks my heart
to think of what these parents and kids go through
together, and Diane and I have always tried to support
charities that move science forward, or those that
improve a child's quality of life during illness and
grant final wishes.
It surprised me this legislative session to learn
about the limits of some wish-granting organizations.
I whole-heartedly believe in the work of these groups,
but what about granting a simple, recreational wish
in your own, or someone else's backyard?
In 1998, the mother of a young cancer patient in Pennsylvania
ran into this dilemma. Tina Pattison's son, Matt,
had a rare form of cancer, and his only wish was to
go moose hunting with his father. No organization
would fulfill hunting requests anymore, and as Mrs.
Pattison searched, Matt passed his 18th birthday,
which no longer entitled him to wishes from some groups.
Mrs. Pattison contacted hunting outfitters for help,
and received a reply from an outfitter in a tiny village
in Alberta, Canada willing to grant Matt his wish.
A guide accompanied Matt on the hunt, and he was lucky
enough to spot a bull moose. With his wish fulfilled,
Matt's health improved for the next few months. Unfortunately,
by his six-month checkup in February, the cancer had
returned. Matt passed away at the end of April.
By Christmas, Mrs. Pattison started receiving calls
from other parents with terminally ill children who
wanted to try various types of hunting or other outdoor
recreation. Today, her organization, "Hunt of
a Lifetime," is active in over 25 states and
Canada. Governor Baldacci recently signed a bill into
law to allow the Department of Inland Fisheries and
Wildlife to issue two moose permits to the organization,
as well as other hunting and fishing licenses as needed.
Two recipients have already been accepted for the
moose hunt this fall. Since the organization is networked
all over the U.S. and Canada, it allows kids up to
age 21 the opportunity to come to Maine. This year,
the recipients are from Michigan and Tennessee. The
two boys will complete hunter certification, and a
Maine guide will accompany them on their hunts.
There is little fiscal impact on the state to offer
these permits, and if it improves the quality of life
of any of these young people, I think it's worth it.
As always, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts
on this program or any other state matter. Please
call me at 892-6591 or e-mail me at RepMarkBryant@yahoo.com.
