Out-Cast
A behind-the-scenes reflection of the Wal-Mart FLW Series event on Lake Cumberland from ‘FLW Outdoors’ TV personality Keith Lebowitz
About two months ago, at an event on Lake Cumberland in Somerset, Ky., I was introduced to a young 13-year-old boy named Jeremy Hicks. His story touched me to a point that I wrote about him in my May 6 “Out-Cast” column. Since that column debuted, the response from our readers has been overwhelming. In fact, the e-mails continue to come in.
He’s a boy that, like many of us, loved to fish. At an early age, he had found his outdoor passion in life, and, according to his parents, wanted to pursue a career in fishing when he was old enough to do so. But unfortunately, a little over a year ago, Jeremy was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his spinal cord. The cancer quickly spread to his brain, and within months, a 13-year-old boy who dreamed of fishing every day for a living was suddenly confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.
I was told when I met Jeremy that he was losing his battle with cancer. And it saddens me to report, based on an e-mail I received from the Hicks family when I returned from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship week, that the worst has been confirmed.
The e-mail read: “We are sorry to report to you that Jeremy passed away on Sunday, July 9th, 2006. He fought bravely and deserved a better outcome. He was a wonderful son and an awesome fishing partner for us all. We can all learn from the courage he showed during his battle with cancer for almost a year… he never complained even once.”
The e-mail went on to say: “We really appreciate the time that the FLW family took to make Jeremy’s day in Somerset so special. It was truly wonderful for him and us. Thank the pros for spending time with him. In a way, they made Jeremy’s dream of being a pro come true.”
I do take some solace in knowing that Jeremy is in a better place now, one without the pain he must have endured. I will never forget seeing the smile on his face at that weigh-in. The entire top-10 field, which included the biggest names in our sport, stopped before weighing in their fish and spent a couple of memorable moments with Jeremy.
I will never forget the tears of nearly everyone around on that day in Somerset. They were both tears of sadness and joy. You could tell that no matter what happened in Jeremy’s life after that day, at that moment he was as happy as a 13-year-old boy could be. He had interacted with his heroes, and his heroes treated Jeremy as one of their own.
On behalf of the entire FLW Outdoors family, our thoughts, prayers and condolences go out to Joe and Sheila Hicks, as well as the entire Hicks family. Your son touched us all, and he will be dearly missed.
———————————————————–
Editor’s note: Keith Lebowitz’s experience as a sports reporter and sports show anchor is considerable. He’s been acknowledged with industry awards numerous times: a 2001 honor from The Associated Press for the Fox Sports Net show “Southwest Sports Report,” a 1996 Emmy winner in the Los Angeles area for outstanding sports reporting on KTTV Fox Television, a 1990 Golden Mike Award for best sportscast at KCSN in Los Angeles and honors for his work as a reporter in 1999 for the Emmy Award-winning “Season of Speed” at KTVT CBS 11 in Dallas. He has interviewed many of the greats including Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Troy Aikman. Currently, Lebowitz is host of FLW Outdoors Television on FSN.
Send comments regarding this column to [email protected]