HUNTING
FROM FIELD...
JAYDEN’S SPECIAL ADVENTURE 12-YEAR-OLD BATTLING CANCER EXPERIENCES MEMORABLE HUNTS By Scott Haugen
A
s I write these words early on Thanksgiving morning – alone, in my office where it’s quiet and my family is still asleep – the sun has yet to rise. The coffee is brewing and I eagerly anticipate that first cup as I reflect on the year 2020. The world is in the middle of a pandemic, our country is in political and social turmoil, plus global climates are shifting. Then there are the personal issues we all face. Still, each and every morning we get out of bed and push forward, hoping that one day the world will return to normalcy. Such is not the case for 12-year-old Jayden Oaks, who is fighting a tough battle with colon cancer. It’s a rare diagnosis in such a young person. Jayden lives near Red Bluff with his 10-year-old brother and their grandmother, Jane, who is their legal guardian. Ten days prior to Thanksgiving, their grandmother lost her husband, who passed after a brief battle with a terrible disease. Three days after her husband’s death, Jane was determined to take Jayden and his brother hunting for a Thanksgiving turkey. “I offered to cancel the hunt,” shares Donn Walgamuth, the man
A truly magnificent buck taken by 12-year-old cancer patient Jayden Oaks. This was Jayden’s ultimate dream hunt, one in which many people devoted much time and effort to help it come true. (DONN WALGAMUTH) calsportsmanmag.com | JANUARY 2021 California Sportsman
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