Fellow Compton Tradgangers.
Below is a copy of a letter that I sent to many of my bowhunting friends and acquaintances. It is in reference to a my close friend, John Hale. John is a friend of Traditional archery and bowhunters alike. After reading the letter below you will understand why, if possible, I could use your help in helping my friend.
P.J. Petiniot
I am sending this letter to all of my bowhunting friends and acquaintances. I recently found out that John Hale, one of my good friends and bowhunting mentors has been diagnosed with a serious disease of the bone marrow. Although Amyloidosis is not cancer, it can be life threatening, at the very least it will be life altering. Here is a brief description of the disease that John has contracted.
PRIMARY AMYLOIDOSIS is a plasma cell disorder which originates in the bone marrow and is usually treated with chemotherapy. It is the most common type of amyloidosis in the United States, with estimates of up to 2000 cases diagnosed each year, and occasionally occurs with multiple myeloma. The deposits in this type of the disease are made up of immunoglobulin light chain proteins which may be deposited in any bodily tissues or organs. The disease results when enough amyloid protein builds up in one or more organs to cause the organ(s) to malfunction. The heart, kidneys, nervous system and gastrointestinal tract are most often affected.
Normally, bone marrow makes protective antibodies, which are proteins that protect against infection and disease. After they have served their function, these antibodies are broken down and recycled in the body. With amyloidosis, cells in the bone marrow produce antibodies that cannot be broken down. These antibodies then begin to build up in the bloodstream. Ultimately, they leave the bloodstream and can deposit in the tissues or organs as amyloid.
John and his wife Sue will be heading up to Rochester, Minnesota to get treatment at the Mayo Clinic. The Hale’s will have to stay in Rochester for up to 8 weeks while John receives treatment. Although the price of lodging is the least of their worries, 8 weeks worth will be financial burden to say the least. I know that John has insurance, but much of the treatment he will be getting at Mayo is cutting edge medical treatment and some of it is deemed experimental I am sure. I do not know how much the Hale’s will have to pay out of pocket, but I am sure it will be a substantial dollar amount.
Those of you that know me very well, have more than likely heard me talk about John. If John’s name has come up in a conversation that I am a part of, you most likely know how I feel about him. If you and I have never talked about John, and you have never had the pleasure of meeting him, I’ll give you a brief description of my friend.
John is an accomplished traditional bowhunter. John is a Regular member of the PBS as well as a member of several other state and local archery organizations. John is a retired coal miner and the owner/operator of J&J Traditional Leathers and makes several different types of quivers and arm guards of leather. He has been traveling to various Mid-Western traditional shoots and Expos for at least 10 years now. Most importantly, John is one of the most generous and giving men I know. He continually works with various youth groups teaching them the necessary skills to craft their own archery tackle.
John has been the guest speaker at the Cloverdale Traditional National shoot, as well as other shoots and banquets. John, as some of you have in the past, refused to take any payment for his services to the traditional archery community. John also took it upon himself to scout hunting spots and direct hunters to likely locations on the ATHA squirrel hunt and last years rendezvous.
John has always been quick to step up and help others in their time of need. He will not be comfortable with the project I have decided to start on his behalf. But he’ll have to get over it.
I’ll get to the original purpose of this letter. I am in the process of putting together a raffle much like the raffle Don Thomas arranged for Dick and Vikki Robertson. This is my first public outreach for support. Generally speaking, I am not one to ask for help, in this instance, I feel the need to do so. Many of you are connected to the traditional archery world by the products you craft, sell or create. If you have a product you yourself manufacture, or literature you have authored and had published, or if you have promotional items for products you sell and would like to donate them I would appreciate it.
I realize that a bowyer cannot honor every request for a bow donation he receives. I also realize that none of us are getting rich off of peddling our traditional archery wares. If you are able to make a donation of some sort of useful traditional archery item, book, arrows, broadhead, bow, bow case ect… I would appreciate it as will John when he finds out what I am up to. If you do not, or cannot make a donation for the raffle, I would appreciate it if you could purchase a ticket or two. I am going to have tickets printed up as soon as I finalize the details of what items I will have for the raffle and where and when the raffle will take place. I have yet to work out ticket prices but figured I would go with the usual $5.00 per ticket, 5 tickets for $20.00 format.
At this time I have two items on the list of donations. I have a reflex/deflex longbow crafted by Chris Rader of Jackhammer Longbows and a dozen custom footed arrows crafted by myself. If one of you would like to donate some broadheads, I’ll mount them on the arrows I am building.
Everybody that donates an item will get some sort of public recognition. I know that’s not why we participate in projects such as this, but all willing participants should be recognized.
The Hale’s are not homeless or poor. I plan on doing my best to insure they do not end up that way. John is a retired working class man of average means and it is my goal to raise enough money that we can pay for John and Sue’s meals and lodging while they are in Rochester, MN at the Mayo Clinic.
If you know John and would like to send him a card or a note his address is:
John Hale, 7466 S. CR. 875 E., Carlisle, IN 47838
John and Sue will be leaving on May 22nd for Minnesota. John is going to call me when he gets settled in to let me know where they are staying and how things are going.
If you can help me in any way with this project I would be very grateful.
Sincerely, P.J. Petiniot
[email protected]
Topic: John Hale- Could use our prayers and help (Read 2624 times)
