The Catch-A-Dream Foundation, a non-profit organization thatprovides special events to children with cancer and various formsof terminable illnesses, held its annual partnering with GeorgiaPacific in Lawrence County on Saturday to ease the pains of an8-year-old girl from West Virginia.

Tabitha Osborne, of Van, W. Va., took her first ever flight inan airplane on Thursday to arrive in south Mississippi as the guestof honor for this year’s Georgia Pacific/Catch-A-Dream event.Bearing the fresh scar on her right temple from a recently removedbrain tumor and hairless from a round of chemotherapy, Osbornearrived at the Georgia Pacific guest cabin for four days ofrelaxation, recuperation and celebration. She was returning to WestVirginia Monday to resume her radiation treatments.

“When we first found out about the tumor, I didn’t take it toowell,” said Lakitta Kinser, Osborne’s mother. “But it’s beengetting better. I have a big family that has stuck by us, and Ialso have a tough mother who helped me through. She said, ‘Dry up,quit crying.'”

Kinser said her daughter, though stricken by illness, was thestrongest link during the family’s trials.

“Tabby hasn’t complained a bit,” she said. “She’s very brave,braver than I’ve ever been.”

Life for Osborne has changed drastically since the tumor wasdiscovered in July. Though it has been removed, its effects linger.Osborne tired easily and has been rendered partially blind, makingit extremely difficult for her to enjoy her one true passion -hunting and the outdoors.

Enter the Catch-A-Dream Foundation, an organization envisionedand set in motion by the late Bruce Brady of Brookhaven.Catch-A-Dream fills the gap left when the Make a Wish Foundationchanged its policy to remove the sponsoring of hunting trips.

Dr. Marty Brunson, chairman of Catch-A-Dream, said Make a Wishchanged its hunting policies due to the politics involved with gunsand hunting.

“It really left a large segment of children out when theychanged those rules,” he said. “This was a great concern to BruceBrady. As he was dying from cancer, he told his family that if hecould start a club or an organization to fill that role, he woulddo it. And now, here we are.

“Brady never lived to see this dream come true, but we’recarrying on wishes,” Brunson continued. “We have childrenparticipating in our programs all over the country. We havechildren out there on fishing trips from the tip of Florida toAlaska, and hunting from one ocean to the next.”

On Saturday, Osborne was one of those hunters, becoming the759th official child helped by Catch-A-Dream.

Despite the rigors of a life filled with needles and surgery,Osborne was well at home in the woods in Lawrence County. With herbrother Daniel, 6, and several volunteers from Georgia Pacificserving as “dogs,” advancing through the woods in a line to drivethe deer out, Osborne harvested a four-point buck on her first day,in the first hour, with the first shot of the weekend.

“I got him right here,” Osborne said, pointing to the side ofher belly.

She said she was enjoying her hunting in Mississippi, mainlybecause the state “has more deer” than West Virginia. She did,however, miss one thing about her home state.

“It’s snowing at home,” she said. “I like hunting in the snow.It makes it easier to see the deer.”

Osborne said she hoped to follow up on her opening day successby getting another deer. She wants to have the antlers cut off andmounted on the hood of her mother’s car, “like Boss Hogg in theDukes of Hazzard.”

It was a special kill for Osborne, but more than just the shotwas special. With partial blindness and a weakened body, Osborneneeded a hand to harvest her first deer of the weekend. That handwas extended by Catch-A-Dream.

“All of our events are extremely detailed,” Brunson said. “Ourrole with this particular trip is to provide the gear andlogistics.”

One piece of gear that made Osborne’s weekend easier was aspecially modified 7mm-08 rifle. Sitting atop the rifle’s scope wasan instrument that looked as though it belonged in the military – atiny camera that peered through the scope and projected the imageon a 3×4 inch television monitor.

Even the hair-thin crosshairs were displayed clearly on thescreen, which was large enough for Osborne’s guide, Georgia PacificE/I Supervisor Ricky Lambert, to see and help her line up theshot.

By the time a catfish lunch in her honor was over on Saturday,Osborne would have other hunting gizmos and pieces of gear to helpher hunt back home in West Virginia. However, as Brunson pointedout during the ceremonies at noon, the true purpose of the weekendwas not really about hunting and equipment.

“We’ve had a great time out here these past couple of days, butthis is a moment where we get really serious for a minute,” Brunsonannounced at the lunch.

With Osborne at his side, he addressed her and the crowd.

“Tabby, we brought you down here to deer hunt, but we reallywanted to do some other things for you as well,” Brunson said. “Wewanted to make friends. When you get on that plane and go back toWest Virginia, I want you to know that your family is bigger now,we’re all a part of your family, and you’re a part of ours.”

Brunson address Osborne’s illnesses with optimism grounded inreality. He explained it with faith, a cornerstone value ofCatch-A-Dream.

“There are a few things that God didn’t promise us,” he said.”And I’ve sat around in a tree stand on a cold morning before andwondered these things. But God didn’t promise us we wouldn’t getsick, that our bodies would always work. In the Book of Isaiahchapter 40, the Lord says ‘even your children will grow tired andstumble and fall.’ But God did promise us one thing. The next versetells us that promise: ‘But, those who hope in the Lord will renewtheir strength and will take up with wings as eagles.’

“If you know Him and love Him, sooner or later, that promisewill come true,” Brunson said to Osborne as she looked up at him.”One day, you won’t have to worry about hospitals and gowns andneedles and surgeries any more. You’ll just be up there flyingaround on wings like eagles.”

To make sure that Osborne understood, Catch-A-Dream presentedher with a camouflaged Outdoorsman’s Bible. Inside, those keyverses from Isaiah 40 were highlighted in blaze orange.

“Catch-A-Dream is all about these relationships,” Brunson saidin closing. “Tabby, if you go home and you forget us, then youhaven’t lose very much, ’cause we aren’t very important. But if yougo home and you forget God’s promise, then you’ve losteverything.”

Brunson asked Osborne to make sure she remembered the promise.She swore she would.