Today is the last day of the first Recreational Cod Fishery for 2014. This particular fishing period has been in effect for twenty-two (22) days. A second fishing period will be open in late September for nine (9) days. The quota for participants in this fishery is five fish per person per day or a maximum of fifteen fish per boat per day. Interestingly, the fishing season in the other Atlantic provinces is open for a much longer period of time. Many people, myself included, believe that Newfoundland and Labrador has been receiving the short end of the stick when it comes to fishing cod......but I digress.......this will likely be the subject of a future post. I was very fortunate to be able to get out for some cod fishing today on a boat named Second Chance with my brother, Robert. I`ll elaborate a little farther on in this post about the significance of the name of this boat. We left Bay Robert`s Harbour at about 1:00 P.M. It was awesome to be on the water. My father owned a small boat when we were young and my brother`s and I, each in turn, as we became old enough and interested enough in joining our father as he fished for cod, would spend many wonderful days out on the bay. Our ride to the fishing grounds was uneventful, however it brought back fond memories of days gone by. Just like riding a bicycle, you never forget how to maintain your balance when riding the waves. This skill was termed `getting your sea legs`. The smell of the ocean, the ripple of the waves and rocking of the boat were all very familiar and very enjoyable. I chuckle to myself when I recall friends of mine who were prone to sea-sickness. My brother and I spent some quality time together and it wasn`t long before we were catching fish. The unmistakable tug on the fishing line always got the adrenaline flowing. The fish were a decent size and we were very pleased that we could reach our quota in about three hours. Our timing was impeccable as the wind had just started to pick up as we caught our ninth and tenth fish. We steamed back to the Harbour and docked the Second Chance. The Second Chance is owned by my brother Robert Lundrigan and his wife Bernice Lundrigan. The name has a a special significance for them, and indeed for me and for our families. The Second Chance got its name after my brother Robert received a kidney transplant. Robert, and a number of others in my family have a disease known as Polycystic Kidney Disease - PKD for short. PKD causes cysts to form on the kidney and as a result kidney function begins to decline. There is no cure for PKD. It is a progressive, irreversible and incurable illness. The only treatment available is either dialysis or a kidney transplant. Of six siblings in my family, three of us were afflicted with PKD. The disease tends to manifest itself when those who have it are about fifty years old. My older sister Jean, my brother Robert and I were all diagnosed with PKD. Jean`s kidney function had declined to the point where she needed dialysis. She had met the assessment criteria for a transplant. At present there are about 4500 people waiting for a kidney. While she was waiting for a kidney Jean was on dialysis. Sadly, Jean passed away in 2005 at age fifty-seven from complications of the PKD and other health issues. Robert also reached a point in his illness where he needed to start dialysis, and he too was on the transplant list waiting for a kidney. Individuals whose illness has progressed and who need a new kidney may receive an organ donated by a compatible donor. In Robert`s case his wonderful, loving and generous wife was a match and Bernice gave Robert a kidney. This selfless act by Bernice saved Robert`s life ........and gave him a.......Second Chance. My kidney function has declined slowly over many years. I have about 13% kidney function remaining and I am currently being assessed to determine my eligibility to be placed on the Transplant List. I hold no illusions about my chances for a transplant with so many others in need of this life-saving procedure. Organ Donations save lives. Transplants can come from live donors or from someone who has passed away and their family had decided to donate their organs. The decision to have your organs donated is never one to be taken lightly. The reality is that unless kidney disease affects a family, most people don`t give consideration to donating their organs. If you would like to save a life by donating one or more of your organs, be sure your family and health care providers are aware of your wishes. Consider Organ Donation and, save a life......... Give someone a Second Chance!
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 23:48:50 +0000
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