Child going on first hunting trip

MOSES LAKE - Robin Kimbro wiped away tears as she watched a photo montage of her son.

"I'm so glad that Youth Outdoors Unlimited picked me to be their first hunter," Spencer Kimbro said on the recording. "I'm very excited to go on my first hunting trip in October. I think it's really cool how I get to mentor the other kids that are coming into Youth Outdoors Unlimited. What an experience ... I just want to say, 'Don't let anyone tell you, you can't do anything and don't give up your dreams because you are the world's greatest.'"

Spencer is the first child accepted into Youth Outdoors Unlimited (YOU), a non-profit group designed to take terminally ill or disabled children on a hunting or fishing trip. The organization held it's first auction last week.

Spencer was born seven-and-a-half weeks early, and was diagnosed with Spina Bifida, lower limb paralysis, severe internal medical issues and skeletal anomalies, according to his parents, Robin and Dan.

Robin said they heard about the program through the daughter of one of the group's directors.

"Don Sell is on the board of directors and his daughter plays soccer with my daughter and so they just happened to call up one day, his daughter did, and say, 'Hey would you like Spencer to have a hunting trip?'" she said. 

Thinking it was an outdoor club, Robin agreed. Then the organization's Founder and President Cindy Carpenter reached Robin and told her about the group.

"She laid out the whole plan of the organization, and I thought, 'Oh my gosh, that's a lot bigger than I thought,'" Robin said. 

Spencer is generally positive about his situation, Robin said, adding he does have days when he's upset.

"I think any kid is like that," she said. "Then you remind him that he gets to do fun things. He gets to play baseball. At school they're doing a jogging (activity), where they jog everyday and he's really excited because he's met the goals for that more than any other kid."

Spencer is starting hunter's education next week, and he knows it puts him a little closer to going hunting, Robin said, adding he is excited about anything that gets him outdoors because he sits in the chair all day. 

"As you can imagine, it's like waiting for Christmas," she said. "It's so far out there. It's never going to happen and it's taking forever to get here ... He's wanted to go hunting forever, but we couldn't figure out a way to make it work."

Dan said Spencer is not only excited about being the first person participating in the program. He has talked with other people about the program.

"He's actually working with one of the adults at our building, who has a nephew that is disabled. So (Spencer has) given her the application, talked to her about it and they're in the process of getting her child submitted for possible acceptance into a hunting program."

Carpenter said the event turned out well with about 150 people filling Sporty's Steakhouse. She started the program after two events - her first big game hunt and taking care of a friend with cancer.

"We are going to work with terminally ill kids and youth with physical disabilities to help them experience hunting and fishing," she said. "That is all we are going to do, and we're going to be excellent at it."

Carpenter met the Kimbro family after receiving a phone call about Spencer, she said. Adding when they heard Spencer's story, they realized he was the perfect participant for the program.

"The Kimbros have been amazingly generous to share their child with us," she said. "I'm very attached to this little guy as I will get with all of our youth."

Carpenter called Spencer an inspiration, saying he drives the organization to find more youth.

For more information about Youth Outdoors Unlimited, go online to www.youthoutdoorwa.org or call Carpenter at 509-431-1604.