UVALDE, Tex. — In between the hustle and bustle of passengers coming and going from the San Antonio International Airport, a father and son ready for a trip of a lifetime.
Scott and Scotty Roessler are in town for a hunting trip organized by Trinity Oaks.
The nonprofit organizes hunting and fishing trips for kids who lost parents, young people fighting terminal diseases, and wounded war veterans.
For a young boy fighting a deadly disease, a South Texas hunting trip may be exactly what the doctor ordered. It's also a chance to bond with his father in the great outdoors.
"It takes them completely away from what they're dealing with and gives them something they deserve and need,” explained Trinity Oaks board member Garrett George.
"We’ve got a father that's special forces and a 10-year-old boy with leukemia, so this is going to be a really cool trip,” he explained.
Day one at the Four Canyon Ranch near Uvalde includes a tour, swimming, and of course shooting.
The trip is a well-deserved break from juggling Scotty's medical care.
"You're traveling back and forth to children's hospitals, you're eating out a lot, you're staying in hotels, you're trying to get him everything he wants because you're grieving,” said Scotty’s father Scott Roessler.
Scotty is in remission, something his father says wouldn't be possible without support and love from their community back in Florida.
"We have bags and bags of letters saved that we're never going to get rid of,” said Roessler.
Scotty's father says battling the disease had been challenging, but it's brought their family closer.
"It's not hereditary; it's not the food he's eating. It's not the music he's watching on MTV, none of it. One in every thousand kids is diagnosed with leukemia, so he's our unicorn,” explained Roessler.
Up next, they'll get to experience hog hunting from a helicopter and a country music jam by a bonfire. Scotty and Scott will become two more names Trinity Oaks has helped. But their minds are on the people who can't make it to the ranch.
"I love you guys, and I appreciate all your hard work for our nation. Your sacrifice is nothing short of valorous,” said Roessler.
If you’d like to help Trinity Oaks you can find more information on their website. Later this month, they’re holding their 6th annual gala to raise money for their mission.