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Hi, I'm John Anderson, founder of Memory Makers. I started Memory Makers after a friend asked me to take a former co-worker fishing since he had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At first I was reluctant, until I ran into him at the hospital where I am a volunteer chaplain. Delbert was sitting in the Outpatients Section waiting for an x-ray. He told me he had gone fishing with a friend, but on the way back the friend had fallen asleep, gone off the road, then hit a tree. They were just going to check him out, because he was sore inside. Listening to him tell about fishing seemed to put a smile on his face. So I asked him, "How would you like to join me on a salmon fishing trip?" His eyes lit up!
I picked him up two weeks later and took him to Gold Beach. We fished for two days where we hooked eleven fish and landed five. I let Delbert catch them all. On the way into the port on the last day, Delbert said something to me that I will never forget. He said, "John, I do not want to go home." I answered, "I've heard that before. " Then the tears started to fall down his cheeks and he told me, "John, sitting here watching the tip of my rod waiting for the big one to come and grab it made me forget about having to unplug Betty, my wife, from life support last month. I even forgot about having cancer. I had a lot of fun and I want to thank you for bringing me fishing."
I answered him, "Delbert, my friend, remember the fun we had today is just a drop in the bucket compared to the fun we will have in Heaven each and every day. When you close your eyes for the last time here on earth the next thing you will see is your Heavenly Maker and Betty, who will be waiting for you in perfect health, with her arms open wide."
He said, "I know."
Then he asked, "You know what I would like to do is to take my mentally challenged son fishing. Will you please take us?"
 My brother helped me a few weeks later and God really blessed us. We were the hottest boat in the bay. We caught 23 fish and Delbert got a 35 pounder, the biggest fish caught in the whole bay that weekend.
It made an everlasting memory. I would visit Delbert later and every time a smile would come across his face and we would start to plan a new fishing trip. Delbert passed away last year and his son still talks about the fishing trip with his dad. His family has told me they felt that was the highlight of his life and the memories of it added several months to his life. It was a moving experience and it has made me want to help others make those memories of a lifetime.
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