Three years ago, at the age of five, Hunter was diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease. While many children recover from this condition, Hunter had experienced permanent heart damage, which led to his placement on the transplant list four months ago.
His mother, Anna, recounted, “Brigid found my son’s Facebook page and messaged me to ask if he’d like to go on a deer hunt. I told her he would be very interested, but I explained that he had never been hunting before, hadn’t taken hunter safety, and couldn’t travel far due to his health.”
The family was thrilled to discover the hunt would take place in Farmington, a manageable three-hour drive from their home. Once his doctor cleared him for travel, only one challenge remained: obtaining his hunter certification.
In New Mexico, children aged nine and under are required to complete an in-person safety course. When the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) learned about Hunter’s situation, they quickly arranged a class for him in Albuquerque since the hunt was only a week away.
“We showed up on Tuesday morning, and Hunter was a little nervous, but ready,” his father, Pat, said. After a day of studying videos, practicing hands-on firearm drills, and spending some time at the range, Hunter sat for his final exam and aced it.”
“I was so happy and excited,” Hunter said, his face beaming with joy.
On the morning of the hunt, November 1, 2025, the air was thick with anticipation. After meeting the ranch owner, Hunter, along with his dad and grandpa, climbed into John Plowman’s truck, while the other guides got into their own vehicles. They all headed out to begin scouting.
They spotted several deer and passed up a few younger, smaller bucks in search of the buck of his dreams. Later, Hunter saw a buck emerge from behind the brush and excitedly exclaimed, “Buck… Buck… Buck!!” He got out of the truck with John, who quickly set everything up. With John’s steady guidance, Hunter focused and regulated his breathing. From about 200 yards away, he carefully aimed and squeezed the trigger, delivering a perfect shot. The buck fell just 50 yards from where it had stood.
“I was so excited when I spotted my own buck,” Hunter said, his face lighting up. “And then getting him!”
“My son was so proud of himself,” Pat said, reflecting on the moment. “But looking at him, I think I was even more proud of him.”
Everyone gathered around Hunter in pure joy as he proudly displayed his trophy mule deer. After taking pictures and storing the deer in a freezer, they took Hunter for target practice, where he successfully hit targets at 1,000 yards. They ended the day by fishing in the San Juan River, where Hunter caught his first brown trout. Many wonderful memories were made in just one day for this special child, resulting in a day filled with adventure and camaraderie in God’s great outdoors.
On November 18, 2025, Hunter’s family received a long-awaited call from Colorado Children’s Hospital: a donor heart was available. After an immediate air transport via MedFlight, Hunter underwent the transplant the following day. Although the donated heart stopped beating for 15 minutes, the doctors were able to resuscitate him. Hunter has shown incredible resilience throughout his challenging recovery. He continues to grow stronger each day and is expected to be released from the hospital sometime after Christmas.
Congratulations to Hunter for successfully harvesting a trophy mule deer and receiving a new heart! We are truly grateful for the guides-John Plowman, Dominic Faverino, Adrian Vigil, Caleb Spelbring, Robby Wood, as well as the financial donors of United Special Sportsman Alliance (USSA) and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF). Their invaluable support made his hunt possible. A special thanks goes to Major Wildlife Studio for preserving this unforgettable memory with a beautiful mount.
Please keep Hunter and his family in your ongoing prayers as he continues his recovery journey. God bless!
If you want to learn more about Hunter, please join ‘Hunters Heart Transplant Journey’ at https://www.facebook.com/groups/1238107141134340