HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LARRY SCHOENBORN

Meet my friend Larry. He is well known in sports-fishing as an angler's guru and as a first class fishing guide in many countries of the world: Brazil, Russia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Canada, Alaska, and all over the USA just to name a few of the most recent. Today is Larry's 72nd birthday, and we are celebrating. Unfortunately, the battle he has been fighting with aggressive multiple myeloma, a wicked cancer of the blood plasma cells which lodges in the bones may rob him of a chance at his 73rd.

Larry is a wonder of a man. He is multi-talented and has an impressive breadth of knowledge in many areas of expertise. He is, for example, a world rated Bridge player and often places high in the standings of those tournaments he fails to win. He continues to be active in the family business - Fishing with Larry, www.fishingwithlarry.com - selling fishing adventure trips to exotic places. He is a well know businessman once owning a prominent local sports store chain. And at one point he and Ethel filmed many TV episodes of fishing expeditions to special places to catch (and release) an amazing variety of fish. Some of those fishing programs are still being rerun on television. Additionally, Larry and Ethel host our mid-week Bible class in their home, and they are always among the first to lend help or encouragement where needed.

We first met about a dozen years ago and almost immediately, Larry endured a stem-cell blood marrow transplant which involved the suppression of his immune system and lengthy convalscence during recovery. All of this high-risk procedure was to earn him the statistical chance of a few more years, maybe three or four or five. He has outlived the target several times over and was able eventually to continue his travels to catch strange and rare fish in many foreign countries. Hey! Want to go Bonefishing at Christmas Island in the South Pacific, anyone?

Most recently he went to Brazil to the upper Amazon basin to guide his clients in fishing for Peacock Bass, one of the largest and most beautiful trophy fish anywhere. An unfortunate fall led to a broken hip, and Larry, wanting to get his medical care at home in Vancouver USA, managed to fly from the middle of South America transcontinentally to receive his urgency care in the local Emergency Room. Gives you an idea of what a tough hombre he is. After the surgery to replace the broken mess with shiny new parts, he was soon up and walking and even attending church services. Sadly, the advancing cancer is now spread throughout his entire system and the cumulative effects of many chemo treatments and transfusions is catching up to him. The encroaching disability and weakness is limiting his body, but it can not touch his spirit.

My friend Larry is an inspiration to me and to his thousands of friends and fans. He is always a joy to visit and his stories and jokes are interesting and always keep us listening carefully even if "we have heard this one before". Everyone has birthdays, but this one was special, thus all this commentary. Happy Birthday, Larry. I hope this one is the best of all!!