A dad, a dream, his boy and a bear. The Freeloader goes on a hunt. Featured on the Outdoor Channel!

November 15, 2017

A handful of months back a kind parent reached out to the Freeloader Team to see if the Freeloader could withstand the demands of a bear hunt and, if so, could we expedite a child carrier in time for a grand outdoor adventure. It seems that a father and a son, Braedan, had something they needed to check off of their bucket list. With considerable logistical challenges the thoughtful parents blew through countless, seemingly insurmountable, hurdles. They pulled together Hank Parker’s Flesh and Blood TV show on the Outdoor Channel, the Outdoor Dream Foundation and the Freeloader Child Carrier and did something nobody has ever done before - they brought a boy who is fighting Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy on a bear hunt in North Carolina. Their companions on the hunt were Hank Jr., Catfish, and a famous bear guide named “Log Chain” (we are unsure as to where the nickname beckons from but always hope that he is a friend and not a foe).

We here at the Freeloader Headquarters want to shine a light on these parents. Like all parents, I am quite sure that life goes by these two too fast, they are busy with bedtimes, grocery stores, and a week that insists on only having 7 days to get 8 days worth of stuff done. But they had a dream and a drive. I can’t fathom the amount of problems they ran into - but as the episode attests they were successful. Here is one small example of their dedication:

The fact is, the Freeloader had never been on a hunt before as far as we know. But when these parents ran into the transportation problem they did their research, contacted us with questions and found a solution. My point is - they found an application that had never been utilized before. In order to allow their son to do something he so dearly wanted to do they reached outside the box and created a solution where heretofore none existed.

They were able to create an experience for their child that many would have called impossible. Through hard work and dead set determination they turned a dream into a reality. And it hasn't just been their family that has benefited. With that determination, because of that determination, others now know that they can do the same.

I wonder, if we all pulled from that same well of determination what we could make possible for our families? If we maintained that drive toward a specific goal, held on and persevered, what we could bring about that was exceptional?

Follow the link below to find the episode:

Hank Parker's Flesh and Blood on the Outdoor Channel