BY BRADLEY SCHWEIT
IRVINE — Some of you may know him from Irvine Lake, Owner Hooks or the Longfin tackle shop in Orange, CA. He’s been in the fishing industry a majority of his adult life, and chances are, if you fish in SoCal, you know or have heard of him. His name is Jimmy Getty, and for those who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting or knowing Jimmy within the fishing industry, he also happens to be a genuinely good human, husband and father who has recently found himself in a difficult situation.
Since childhood, Jimmy has suffered from a genetic disease known as NF1, or neurofibromatosis. It’s a relatively rare disorder that causes growths to appear all throughout the body; including on and in major organs and organ systems. Until relatively recently, those growths had largely been a non-issue. However, that all changed when growths were discovered on both his vagus nerve and resting on his aorta. Doctors quickly set about removing the masses, but other similar growths have been discovered since. Jimmy underwent additional surgeries for those growths; one of which has tested positive for BRCA-2. For those unfamiliar with that term, it’s a genetic cellular mutation that has the potential to cause cancer.
All of this has taken place over the last few months, so Jimmy has understandably only been able to work intermittently… His heart procedure alone was well into the six figures, and there are additional surgeries on the horizon. Speaking to the character of the man he is, he is less concerned about his own well-being amidst all of this than he is of his family.
That said, this GoFundMe was created to take some of the financial burden off of Jimmy and his family. Despite having insurance, the family currently owes $25K-plus; and because their health insurance renewed Jan. 1, they have a new deductible to contend with for any and all future surgeries, procedures, tests, treatments, etc. In short, he could use a little help… and any help would mean the world.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your consideration alone is beyond appreciated. On behalf of Jimmy, his wife, Jen, and his children, Mason and Zoey… thank you.
The link to the GoFundMe account that has been established for Jimmy and his family is: GoFundme.com/f/help-a-fellow-fisherman-and-father.
Bradley Schweit is a former freshwater editor for Western Outdoor News