Dream Pursuit in the works for Gaige Willems

Laura Davis photoThe WIllems family consists of Gerald and Misty, and sons, Gaige (left) and Jadan.

Gaige was featured in two previous stories in The Daily Statesman as he faced the challenges of his diagnosis, which were many. The young boy went from one day being a healthy, active five-year-old at play to the next day being a patient at Children's Hospital in St. Louis with a portacath in his chest through which an aggressive chemotherapy treatment was administered.

Since early 2008, Gaige and his parents, Gerald and Misty, have made countless trips to St. Louis. Hospital rooms, injections, fatigue, hair loss, vomiting, and the never-ending journeys north--they've all consumed the young life of Gaige Willems for the past two and one-half years.

In a few weeks, though, the Willems family, including Gaige and his younger brother, Jaydan, will take a journey of another kind--the kind that begin with a dream.

Thanks to the efforts of a local organization called Dream Pursuit, headed by Rick Davis, Gaige and his family will be headed next month to Key West, Fla., for the fishing adventure of their lives.

Davis runs the not-for-profit organization that grants special wishes in the form of hunting or fishing adventures, to children and young adults who face the challenges of a cancer or other life-threatening illness.

"We try our best to accommodate the children's wishes in the best possible way to make a lasting memory for all concerned," Davis says of his organization.

"We realize what this young family has been through over the past few years and we just want to give them some time away on an adventure where Gaige won't have to think about hospital visits or chemotherapy treatments."

Davis says that by fulfilling lifelong dreams through hunting and fishing adventures, the group is able to bring together the two most valuable treasures with which they have been entrusted---children and the great outdoors.

The cost of a Key West fishing adventure doesn't come cheap. With funds having been granted through a number of church groups, individuals, and businesses, "Additional funds are still needed", Davis explains.

"We only need some additional funding for some of the incidental expenses," Davis explains. "The Willems are hard working people who take pride in having provided for their children through Gaige's illness, but a little help from the community will ensure every comfort during their Key West adventure."

When Gaige was initially diagnosed early in 2008, a fund was established at a local bank to help defray the cost of constant travel to St. Louis. Those funds were long ago depleted. And so, a community of caring people is called upon once again.

On Saturday, July 24, beginning at 11 a.m., Dream Pursuit will host a community barbecue and fundraising event at Dexter's West City Park, with all proceeds to go toward the efforts of the organization. Two other planned trips will also benefit from the proceeds. Brice Fite, 20, from Atoka, Tenn., who lives with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, will be headed in October to Winona, Mo. for a whitetail hunt.

Nine-year-old Hunter Aiton, from Etowah, NC, will be taking a trip in the near future as well to West Winfield, NY on a whitetail hunt.

"While we've had several generous donations already," Davis explains, "we would love to see the local community get behind us and insure these ventures to be the successes that they should be with all the amenities we can provide for these very deserving families."

In addition to inviting the public to the July 24 event at West City Park, Davis invites any local businesses that might be interested in providing giveaway items for the fundraising event, to contact him at 573-421-5580.

Also, Davis stresses to the general public, " If anyone knows of a child or young adult with a life-threatening illness that would be interested in participating in one of our dream adventures, please feel free to contact us by phone or by email at dream@dreampursuit.org.