Bear Grylls has always talked about the benefits of doing charity work and being a good scout, and one of his examples of doing this is when he partnered up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which arranges surprises for kids of all ages, to grant a special request. He recently posted about this memory on social media, saying the adventure was “a fun one to do with such a great young hero.”
The adventure took place last year when Bear found out that a particular child had one wish—to go on an adventure with him, and Bear helped make it happen. He took Cameron Williams, a 14-year-old kidney transplant survivor, on an outdoor adventure he would never forget.
A Surprise Encounter
Cameron had always been a huge fan of Bear’s, and the day his wish came true was set up as a complete surprise; Cameron had no idea what was going to happen. He was taken into the outdoors, where he was given a radio, which Bear then contacted him on. Cameron got a great surprise when Bear said he was coming his way.
Next minute, Bear appeared in a helicopter, and after landing and giving Cameron a hug, he told him to get ready for an adventure.
Treasure Hunt in the Forest
The pair headed into the forest to start a special treasure hunt. The first task was to go looking in an old, abandoned building—the first “marker” on the treasure hunt.
“Going into this abandoned building is always going to be a little nerve-wracking, especially when you can’t see,” said Bear to Cameron, while setting up the youngster with a head-torch.
Once inside, Bear and Cameron had to search around in the dark for a box that had a GPS in it, which they eventually found behind a hidden doorway.
A ‘Bear Grylls Snack’
The GPS led them to their next checkpoint, where they tucked into a typical “Bear Grylls snack”—a live, wriggling creature of some sort, which Cameron admitted was hard to swallow.
Bear talked to Cameron about the kidney operation he had, and Bear shared some encouragement and wisdom of his own.
“I think you’re amazing, and I think you’re going to go on and do so many great things in your life,” Bear said to Cameron. “So many people are going to see your story and think, ‘If he can keep going, and keep smiling through that, then so can I.’”
The pair left the forest in an old military Hummer truck. Afterwards, Bear said: “I love meeting heroes. Young people who’ve had some battles and had to face some real obstacles in their life, and I can always recognize spirit. Cameron showed that spirit today.”
Watch clips of their adventure here.
