6 Photos
I became friends with Keith Grubbs back in the 80’s during my college days. I attended Radford University and my band would often play for functions hosted by the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Longwood University, where Keith’s identical twin brother Kevin was a member. When the weekends came, Keith would often leave his job at the shipyard in Chesapeake, Virginia and make the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Farmville to hang out. Regardless of what was going on, we always found a little time to talk hunting.
To know these twin brothers, is to know hunting. When you hear the phrase “eat up with it”, that describes both Keith and Kevin perfectly when it comes to hunting. These brothers grew up spending lots of time in the Virginia deer and turkey woods and both are very accomplished compound bow hunters. Although time and space has kept us from seeing each other as much, our passion for the outdoors has kept us all in touch.
As I look back at text messages over the years, they are always filled with optimism and great harvest pictures as well as pictures of our children getting involved in our great sport of hunting. If I ever have a question on hunting advice, they are the one’s I turn to.
In August of 2018, the texts and phone calls took on a whole new feel. In February of 2018, Keith began to feel a little off and as Spring gobbler season approached, which is Keith’s favorite, he was feeling worse. Several doctors’ visits turned up nothing, but his symptoms kept increasing. Keith, at this point, had been working professionally as a nurse in a hospital for 23 years, and although the doctor visits revealed nothing, he knew something was wrong.
The final straw came in August of 18 when he was checking some trail cameras in Southampton County Virginia. He had walked a fair distance from his truck, and he could barely make it back. He drove himself directly to an urgent care facility and demanded a CT scan and blood work.
"August 1 2018, was the worst day of my life"
The blood test recorded Keith’s white blood cells at 95 (normal is 4-12), and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. The following day he was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). He went from checking trail cams to being in a hospital bed, surrounded by strangers being poked and prodded with needles, and in order to slow the progress of the disease, he began receiving massive doses of chemo.
I kept in touch with his brother Kevin during this initial period of diagnosis and although it was as hard on him as anyone, he was the one person that was in charge of trying to keep his brothers spirits high and cater to needs other than what the hospital provided.
On September 18, 2018, I received a text from Keith saying, “When I make it through this, I’m going to have a story to publish that should change the way we all approach life and our gift to hunt and enjoy what God has created for us.”
In late September Keith, at least found himself able to come back home in between the chemo treatments, but regardless of his lack of strength, he still wanted to get into the bow hunting woods at all cost as October was nearing. He even cranked his bow down to 60lbs so that he was able to pull it back, and he and Kevin came up with a plan for Keith to hunt in a promising spot on one the coming October afternoons. Kevin mapped out the spot and he hung some ladder sticks for Keith to get up off the ground. Finally the time came for the hunt, and Kevin led his brother to the spot. Keith started to ascend the tree and steps, but soon turned and said "I can't make it, I am too weak". Kevin knew what it would mean to his brother to make it up to the platform and he gently continued to encourage him to take his time. After fifteen minutes of trying, Keith was finally able to reach his destination and settle in for the evening hunt.
Just to put this hunt in perspective, the Grubbs brothers usually bow hunt from a mobile perspective that they call "hang and bang", where they use hang on stands and screw in steps. This allows them to adjust their hunting spots accordingly and quickly. Both are mature buck hunters and have both harvested record deer with their bows. This October hunt for Keith would have very little attention to protocal other than to just be out in the woods again enjoying what he loves, yet atleast getting off the ground for his best opportunity.
On the evening of October 12, 2018, I received a picture from Keith with a spike buck he had arrowed with the caption “CANCER WON’T STOP ME”. I remember looking at the picture and tearing up with joy and that same joy was written all over Keith’s face. I could see that he was a weakened version of himself, having lost a lot of weight and was completely bald from the chemo.
Amongst me and friends that know Keith, we have had a continuous prayer chain going for him till present. The late fall and winter of 2018 was the toughest for Keith. The heavy chemo treatments had really taken a toll on him and his spirit. He told me in our interview for this story that there were times he went to bed thinking that he wouldn’t be alive the next day, but he was at peace with it because of his faith, and the suffering that he was going through.
The type of leukemia that Keith had needed to be completely killed before any curing affect could be attempted. The most promising shot of cure comes in the form of a stem cell transplant from a matching donor. There were no immediate matches found for Keith, but in late November a match from an anonymous source in Germany was located and a January 8th 2019, a date was set up for the procedure at VCU-MCV in Richmond Virginia that would hopefully save his life.
The procedure came off as planned and after a few weeks stay at the hospital to make sure his #’s were appropriate, he was released and stayed with his brother and family who reside in Richmond for additional time just for peace of mind in case he needed help quickly.
Keith’s wife Ellie and two daughters Miah, and Kayla, also poured optimism, prayers, and love into the situation since that life changing day in August of 2018. These ladies stayed steadfast and mindful at every turn and bump in the road along this journey. They too, spent many sleepless nights in hopes of a solution. When Keith returned home in late March of 2019, the family finally felt whole again having their leader back.
“You don’t necessarily have to die to go to heaven, it’s right here if you take the time to look around”
I continued to stay in touch with Keith for updates during this time. The thing is, even though his life was on a blessed road to recovery, he will probably never be exactly like he used to be. His feeling of well-being is a bit different. He now must get used to the “new normal”, and best of all his mental disposition has forever been changed for the better.
In early April of 2019, he sent me a text that said, “Hey, I’m back on top”. He was feeling better than he had in two years, still a little weak but regaining strength daily. He was ready for Spring gobbler and had done some shed hunting and found a promising match on one of his hunting properties. He also had begun to wean himself off the medications and praying for no issues.
As Spring Gobbler season opened, I received a great picture of Keith and Kevin with matching gobblers and a caption that read “We are glad to be brothers and I get a second chance for days like today”.
As spring moved into summer and summer into fall, Keith was preparing for some bow hunting. He and Kevin spent some time together in the early bow season of October and again he felt the blessings of having another chance to experience what he had taken for granted.
“As I laid in the hospital bed over the months, I prayed that I would again be able to hear the frost on the leaves crunching under my feet as I made my way to my stand”
The colors of the Virginia Fall foliage were in full effect on November 8, 2019 as Keith decided to head to the property in Southampton County where he had found the big matching sheds earlier in the year. When he arrived just before daylight, the wind and cold kept him in his truck. This would have not been a problem in years past, but with a weakened immune system he decided to pull to the side of a field to a vantage point and just watch the open area as the sun rose.
With very little movement, except the wind, the morning continued when Keith picked up movement in the passenger’s side mirror. As he turned slowly, he was shocked to see the 160 1/8 Pope & Young giant moving along the fields edge only some 75 yards from him. Keith grabbed his binoculars and focused on the buck as he continued to move consistently along the edge towards another patch of woods.
What happened next seems so fitting for this story, as Keith continued to focus his binoculars on the buck, it turned directly to him and stopped and starred directly at him. The buck then turned and departed into the woods like a ghost.
“When the buck looked back at me it was surreal, we looked into each other’s souls”
Keith decided that he would wait for the afternoon and slip into the woods where the buck was last seen and use his climber to perch in a tree and try his luck. Just after lunch time Keith headed toward the patch of woods and found a decent tree that had apparent marks from where his brother Kevin had used screw in steps several years ago to hunt.
Keith took his time climbing and, once in place, he settled in and he started thinking back about the path his life had led him the past few years, and how very grateful he was to again be back hunting and enjoying the outdoors, but this time with a whole new respect and appreciation.
The final hour of daylight, which I like to call “power hour” was setting in on Keith, and as if scripted, he heard the rustling of leaves. As he turned slowly toward the noise, he could immediately see it was the buck he had direct eye contact with just a few short hours ago. Anyone reading this story would have to believe that this was truly “divine intervention”. The giant buck continued directly toward Keith and he stood slowly and drew his bow. When he was in range Keith relied on his practiced, yet tested instincts and let fly an arrow that found it’s mark solidly behind the front shoulder.
The big buck took off, but Keith knew his arrow placement should be fatal. Not to rush things, as most experienced bowhunters would have it, Keith backed out quietly and headed to his truck. Soon, he and his brother were on the phone and joyful tears were shared, and they set a time to meet the next morning and hopefully find this special Virginia buck.
The next morning as light showed the way, the brothers walked to the place of impact and started their methodical search. The shot was indeed true, and a path of crimson led them to where the great buck lay. It was at that moment as they both looked at the buck then looked at each other that the deep valley they experienced together over the past two years was now at a peak. Keith immediately hugged Kevin and said, “you saved my life”.
This story is a true testament to how something great can come out of true despair and should serve as a reminder to love harder, be more grateful and live each moment for the goodness it brings. It also shows what inner perseverance, love, prayers and encouragement from family, friends and community can do when consistently applied. Keith understands the true value of everyday life now and those of us who have followed along during this rough period are also better equipped to appreciate it.
Speaking of appreciation, I want to thank both Keith and Kevin for allowing me to write and share this story. Keith is known by many accomplished writers and has had some of his past outdoor accomplishments covered but, to ask me to cover his greatest accomplishment to date overwhelms me with appreciation, and I am happy to share it with you.
“Be thankful for the hunt, not so much the harvest, enjoy every minute”
Jeff Phillips
Star City Whitetails
4/24/20
I became friends with Keith Grubbs back in the 80’s during my college days. I attended Radford University and my band would often play for functions hosted by the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Longwood University, where Keith’s identical twin brother Kevin was a member. When the weekends came, Keith would often leave his job at the shipyard in Chesapeake, Virginia and make the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Farmville to hang out. Regardless of what was going on, we always found a little time to talk hunting.
To know these twin brothers, is to know hunting. When you hear the phrase “eat up with it”, that describes both Keith and Kevin perfectly when it comes to hunting. These brothers grew up spending lots of time in the Virginia deer and turkey woods and both are very accomplished compound bow hunters. Although time and space has kept us from seeing each other as much, our passion for the outdoors has kept us all in touch.
As I look back at text messages over the years, they are always filled with optimism and great harvest pictures as well as pictures of our children getting involved in our great sport of hunting. If I ever have a question on hunting advice, they are the one’s I turn to.
In August of 2018, the texts and phone calls took on a whole new feel. In February of 2018, Keith began to feel a little off and as Spring gobbler season approached, which is Keith’s favorite, he was feeling worse. Several doctors’ visits turned up nothing, but his symptoms kept increasing. Keith, at this point, had been working professionally as a nurse in a hospital for 23 years, and although the doctor visits revealed nothing, he knew something was wrong.
The final straw came in August of 18 when he was checking some trail cameras in Southampton County Virginia. He had walked a fair distance from his truck, and he could barely make it back. He drove himself directly to an urgent care facility and demanded a CT scan and blood work.
"August 1 2018, was the worst day of my life"
The blood test recorded Keith’s white blood cells at 95 (normal is 4-12), and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. The following day he was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). He went from checking trail cams to being in a hospital bed, surrounded by strangers being poked and prodded with needles, and in order to slow the progress of the disease, he began receiving massive doses of chemo.
I kept in touch with his brother Kevin during this initial period of diagnosis and although it was as hard on him as anyone, he was the one person that was in charge of trying to keep his brothers spirits high and cater to needs other than what the hospital provided.
On September 18, 2018, I received a text from Keith saying, “When I make it through this, I’m going to have a story to publish that should change the way we all approach life and our gift to hunt and enjoy what God has created for us.”
In late September Keith, at least found himself able to come back home in between the chemo treatments, but regardless of his lack of strength, he still wanted to get into the bow hunting woods at all cost as October was nearing. He even cranked his bow down to 60lbs so that he was able to pull it back, and he and Kevin came up with a plan for Keith to hunt in a promising spot on one the coming October afternoons. Kevin mapped out the spot and he hung some ladder sticks for Keith to get up off the ground. Finally the time came for the hunt, and Kevin led his brother to the spot. Keith started to ascend the tree and steps, but soon turned and said "I can't make it, I am too weak". Kevin knew what it would mean to his brother to make it up to the platform and he gently continued to encourage him to take his time. After fifteen minutes of trying, Keith was finally able to reach his destination and settle in for the evening hunt.
Just to put this hunt in perspective, the Grubbs brothers usually bow hunt from a mobile perspective that they call "hang and bang", where they use hang on stands and screw in steps. This allows them to adjust their hunting spots accordingly and quickly. Both are mature buck hunters and have both harvested record deer with their bows. This October hunt for Keith would have very little attention to protocal other than to just be out in the woods again enjoying what he loves, yet atleast getting off the ground for his best opportunity.
On the evening of October 12, 2018, I received a picture from Keith with a spike buck he had arrowed with the caption “CANCER WON’T STOP ME”. I remember looking at the picture and tearing up with joy and that same joy was written all over Keith’s face. I could see that he was a weakened version of himself, having lost a lot of weight and was completely bald from the chemo.
Amongst me and friends that know Keith, we have had a continuous prayer chain going for him till present. The late fall and winter of 2018 was the toughest for Keith. The heavy chemo treatments had really taken a toll on him and his spirit. He told me in our interview for this story that there were times he went to bed thinking that he wouldn’t be alive the next day, but he was at peace with it because of his faith, and the suffering that he was going through.
The type of leukemia that Keith had needed to be completely killed before any curing affect could be attempted. The most promising shot of cure comes in the form of a stem cell transplant from a matching donor. There were no immediate matches found for Keith, but in late November a match from an anonymous source in Germany was located and a January 8th 2019, a date was set up for the procedure at VCU-MCV in Richmond Virginia that would hopefully save his life.
The procedure came off as planned and after a few weeks stay at the hospital to make sure his #’s were appropriate, he was released and stayed with his brother and family who reside in Richmond for additional time just for peace of mind in case he needed help quickly.
Keith’s wife Ellie and two daughters Miah, and Kayla, also poured optimism, prayers, and love into the situation since that life changing day in August of 2018. These ladies stayed steadfast and mindful at every turn and bump in the road along this journey. They too, spent many sleepless nights in hopes of a solution. When Keith returned home in late March of 2019, the family finally felt whole again having their leader back.
“You don’t necessarily have to die to go to heaven, it’s right here if you take the time to look around”
I continued to stay in touch with Keith for updates during this time. The thing is, even though his life was on a blessed road to recovery, he will probably never be exactly like he used to be. His feeling of well-being is a bit different. He now must get used to the “new normal”, and best of all his mental disposition has forever been changed for the better.
In early April of 2019, he sent me a text that said, “Hey, I’m back on top”. He was feeling better than he had in two years, still a little weak but regaining strength daily. He was ready for Spring gobbler and had done some shed hunting and found a promising match on one of his hunting properties. He also had begun to wean himself off the medications and praying for no issues.
As Spring Gobbler season opened, I received a great picture of Keith and Kevin with matching gobblers and a caption that read “We are glad to be brothers and I get a second chance for days like today”.
As spring moved into summer and summer into fall, Keith was preparing for some bow hunting. He and Kevin spent some time together in the early bow season of October and again he felt the blessings of having another chance to experience what he had taken for granted.
“As I laid in the hospital bed over the months, I prayed that I would again be able to hear the frost on the leaves crunching under my feet as I made my way to my stand”
The colors of the Virginia Fall foliage were in full effect on November 8, 2019 as Keith decided to head to the property in Southampton County where he had found the big matching sheds earlier in the year. When he arrived just before daylight, the wind and cold kept him in his truck. This would have not been a problem in years past, but with a weakened immune system he decided to pull to the side of a field to a vantage point and just watch the open area as the sun rose.
With very little movement, except the wind, the morning continued when Keith picked up movement in the passenger’s side mirror. As he turned slowly, he was shocked to see the 160 1/8 Pope & Young giant moving along the fields edge only some 75 yards from him. Keith grabbed his binoculars and focused on the buck as he continued to move consistently along the edge towards another patch of woods.
What happened next seems so fitting for this story, as Keith continued to focus his binoculars on the buck, it turned directly to him and stopped and starred directly at him. The buck then turned and departed into the woods like a ghost.
“When the buck looked back at me it was surreal, we looked into each other’s souls”
Keith decided that he would wait for the afternoon and slip into the woods where the buck was last seen and use his climber to perch in a tree and try his luck. Just after lunch time Keith headed toward the patch of woods and found a decent tree that had apparent marks from where his brother Kevin had used screw in steps several years ago to hunt.
Keith took his time climbing and, once in place, he settled in and he started thinking back about the path his life had led him the past few years, and how very grateful he was to again be back hunting and enjoying the outdoors, but this time with a whole new respect and appreciation.
The final hour of daylight, which I like to call “power hour” was setting in on Keith, and as if scripted, he heard the rustling of leaves. As he turned slowly toward the noise, he could immediately see it was the buck he had direct eye contact with just a few short hours ago. Anyone reading this story would have to believe that this was truly “divine intervention”. The giant buck continued directly toward Keith and he stood slowly and drew his bow. When he was in range Keith relied on his practiced, yet tested instincts and let fly an arrow that found it’s mark solidly behind the front shoulder.
The big buck took off, but Keith knew his arrow placement should be fatal. Not to rush things, as most experienced bowhunters would have it, Keith backed out quietly and headed to his truck. Soon, he and his brother were on the phone and joyful tears were shared, and they set a time to meet the next morning and hopefully find this special Virginia buck.
The next morning as light showed the way, the brothers walked to the place of impact and started their methodical search. The shot was indeed true, and a path of crimson led them to where the great buck lay. It was at that moment as they both looked at the buck then looked at each other that the deep valley they experienced together over the past two years was now at a peak. Keith immediately hugged Kevin and said, “you saved my life”.
This story is a true testament to how something great can come out of true despair and should serve as a reminder to love harder, be more grateful and live each moment for the goodness it brings. It also shows what inner perseverance, love, prayers and encouragement from family, friends and community can do when consistently applied. Keith understands the true value of everyday life now and those of us who have followed along during this rough period are also better equipped to appreciate it.
Speaking of appreciation, I want to thank both Keith and Kevin for allowing me to write and share this story. Keith is known by many accomplished writers and has had some of his past outdoor accomplishments covered but, to ask me to cover his greatest accomplishment to date overwhelms me with appreciation, and I am happy to share it with you.
“Be thankful for the hunt, not so much the harvest, enjoy every minute”
Jeff Phillips
Star City Whitetails
4/24/20
I became friends with Keith Grubbs back in the 80’s during my college days. I attended Radford University and my band would often play for functions hosted by the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Longwood University, where Keith’s identical twin brother Kevin was a member. When the weekends came, Keith would often leave his job at the shipyard in Chesapeake, Virginia and make the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Farmville to hang out. Regardless of what was going on, we always found a little time to talk hunting.
To know these twin brothers, is to know hunting. When you hear the phrase “eat up with it”, that describes both Keith and Kevin perfectly when it comes to hunting. These brothers grew up spending lots of time in the Virginia deer and turkey woods and both are very accomplished compound bow hunters. Although time and space has kept us from seeing each other as much, our passion for the outdoors has kept us all in touch.
As I look back at text messages over the years, they are always filled with optimism and great harvest pictures as well as pictures of our children getting involved in our great sport of hunting. If I ever have a question on hunting advice, they are the one’s I turn to.
In August of 2018, the texts and phone calls took on a whole new feel. In February of 2018, Keith began to feel a little off and as Spring gobbler season approached, which is Keith’s favorite, he was feeling worse. Several doctors’ visits turned up nothing, but his symptoms kept increasing. Keith, at this point, had been working professionally as a nurse in a hospital for 23 years, and although the doctor visits revealed nothing, he knew something was wrong.
The final straw came in August of 18 when he was checking some trail cameras in Southampton County Virginia. He had walked a fair distance from his truck, and he could barely make it back. He drove himself directly to an urgent care facility and demanded a CT scan and blood work.
"August 1 2018, was the worst day of my life"
The blood test recorded Keith’s white blood cells at 95 (normal is 4-12), and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. The following day he was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). He went from checking trail cams to being in a hospital bed, surrounded by strangers being poked and prodded with needles, and in order to slow the progress of the disease, he began receiving massive doses of chemo.
I kept in touch with his brother Kevin during this initial period of diagnosis and although it was as hard on him as anyone, he was the one person that was in charge of trying to keep his brothers spirits high and cater to needs other than what the hospital provided.
On September 18, 2018, I received a text from Keith saying, “When I make it through this, I’m going to have a story to publish that should change the way we all approach life and our gift to hunt and enjoy what God has created for us.”
In late September Keith, at least found himself able to come back home in between the chemo treatments, but regardless of his lack of strength, he still wanted to get into the bow hunting woods at all cost as October was nearing. He even cranked his bow down to 60lbs so that he was able to pull it back, and he and Kevin came up with a plan for Keith to hunt in a promising spot on one the coming October afternoons. Kevin mapped out the spot and he hung some ladder sticks for Keith to get up off the ground. Finally the time came for the hunt, and Kevin led his brother to the spot. Keith started to ascend the tree and steps, but soon turned and said "I can't make it, I am too weak". Kevin knew what it would mean to his brother to make it up to the platform and he gently continued to encourage him to take his time. After fifteen minutes of trying, Keith was finally able to reach his destination and settle in for the evening hunt.
Just to put this hunt in perspective, the Grubbs brothers usually bow hunt from a mobile perspective that they call "hang and bang", where they use hang on stands and screw in steps. This allows them to adjust their hunting spots accordingly and quickly. Both are mature buck hunters and have both harvested record deer with their bows. This October hunt for Keith would have very little attention to protocal other than to just be out in the woods again enjoying what he loves, yet atleast getting off the ground for his best opportunity.
On the evening of October 12, 2018, I received a picture from Keith with a spike buck he had arrowed with the caption “CANCER WON’T STOP ME”. I remember looking at the picture and tearing up with joy and that same joy was written all over Keith’s face. I could see that he was a weakened version of himself, having lost a lot of weight and was completely bald from the chemo.
Amongst me and friends that know Keith, we have had a continuous prayer chain going for him till present. The late fall and winter of 2018 was the toughest for Keith. The heavy chemo treatments had really taken a toll on him and his spirit. He told me in our interview for this story that there were times he went to bed thinking that he wouldn’t be alive the next day, but he was at peace with it because of his faith, and the suffering that he was going through.
The type of leukemia that Keith had needed to be completely killed before any curing affect could be attempted. The most promising shot of cure comes in the form of a stem cell transplant from a matching donor. There were no immediate matches found for Keith, but in late November a match from an anonymous source in Germany was located and a January 8th 2019, a date was set up for the procedure at VCU-MCV in Richmond Virginia that would hopefully save his life.
The procedure came off as planned and after a few weeks stay at the hospital to make sure his #’s were appropriate, he was released and stayed with his brother and family who reside in Richmond for additional time just for peace of mind in case he needed help quickly.
Keith’s wife Ellie and two daughters Miah, and Kayla, also poured optimism, prayers, and love into the situation since that life changing day in August of 2018. These ladies stayed steadfast and mindful at every turn and bump in the road along this journey. They too, spent many sleepless nights in hopes of a solution. When Keith returned home in late March of 2019, the family finally felt whole again having their leader back.
“You don’t necessarily have to die to go to heaven, it’s right here if you take the time to look around”
I continued to stay in touch with Keith for updates during this time. The thing is, even though his life was on a blessed road to recovery, he will probably never be exactly like he used to be. His feeling of well-being is a bit different. He now must get used to the “new normal”, and best of all his mental disposition has forever been changed for the better.
In early April of 2019, he sent me a text that said, “Hey, I’m back on top”. He was feeling better than he had in two years, still a little weak but regaining strength daily. He was ready for Spring gobbler and had done some shed hunting and found a promising match on one of his hunting properties. He also had begun to wean himself off the medications and praying for no issues.
As Spring Gobbler season opened, I received a great picture of Keith and Kevin with matching gobblers and a caption that read “We are glad to be brothers and I get a second chance for days like today”.
As spring moved into summer and summer into fall, Keith was preparing for some bow hunting. He and Kevin spent some time together in the early bow season of October and again he felt the blessings of having another chance to experience what he had taken for granted.
“As I laid in the hospital bed over the months, I prayed that I would again be able to hear the frost on the leaves crunching under my feet as I made my way to my stand”
The colors of the Virginia Fall foliage were in full effect on November 8, 2019 as Keith decided to head to the property in Southampton County where he had found the big matching sheds earlier in the year. When he arrived just before daylight, the wind and cold kept him in his truck. This would have not been a problem in years past, but with a weakened immune system he decided to pull to the side of a field to a vantage point and just watch the open area as the sun rose.
With very little movement, except the wind, the morning continued when Keith picked up movement in the passenger’s side mirror. As he turned slowly, he was shocked to see the 160 1/8 Pope & Young giant moving along the fields edge only some 75 yards from him. Keith grabbed his binoculars and focused on the buck as he continued to move consistently along the edge towards another patch of woods.
What happened next seems so fitting for this story, as Keith continued to focus his binoculars on the buck, it turned directly to him and stopped and starred directly at him. The buck then turned and departed into the woods like a ghost.
“When the buck looked back at me it was surreal, we looked into each other’s souls”
Keith decided that he would wait for the afternoon and slip into the woods where the buck was last seen and use his climber to perch in a tree and try his luck. Just after lunch time Keith headed toward the patch of woods and found a decent tree that had apparent marks from where his brother Kevin had used screw in steps several years ago to hunt.
Keith took his time climbing and, once in place, he settled in and he started thinking back about the path his life had led him the past few years, and how very grateful he was to again be back hunting and enjoying the outdoors, but this time with a whole new respect and appreciation.
The final hour of daylight, which I like to call “power hour” was setting in on Keith, and as if scripted, he heard the rustling of leaves. As he turned slowly toward the noise, he could immediately see it was the buck he had direct eye contact with just a few short hours ago. Anyone reading this story would have to believe that this was truly “divine intervention”. The giant buck continued directly toward Keith and he stood slowly and drew his bow. When he was in range Keith relied on his practiced, yet tested instincts and let fly an arrow that found it’s mark solidly behind the front shoulder.
The big buck took off, but Keith knew his arrow placement should be fatal. Not to rush things, as most experienced bowhunters would have it, Keith backed out quietly and headed to his truck. Soon, he and his brother were on the phone and joyful tears were shared, and they set a time to meet the next morning and hopefully find this special Virginia buck.
The next morning as light showed the way, the brothers walked to the place of impact and started their methodical search. The shot was indeed true, and a path of crimson led them to where the great buck lay. It was at that moment as they both looked at the buck then looked at each other that the deep valley they experienced together over the past two years was now at a peak. Keith immediately hugged Kevin and said, “you saved my life”.
This story is a true testament to how something great can come out of true despair and should serve as a reminder to love harder, be more grateful and live each moment for the goodness it brings. It also shows what inner perseverance, love, prayers and encouragement from family, friends and community can do when consistently applied. Keith understands the true value of everyday life now and those of us who have followed along during this rough period are also better equipped to appreciate it.
Speaking of appreciation, I want to thank both Keith and Kevin for allowing me to write and share this story. Keith is known by many accomplished writers and has had some of his past outdoor accomplishments covered but, to ask me to cover his greatest accomplishment to date overwhelms me with appreciation, and I am happy to share it with you.
“Be thankful for the hunt, not so much the harvest, enjoy every minute”
Jeff Phillips
Star City Whitetails
4/24/20
I became friends with Keith Grubbs back in the 80’s during my college days. I attended Radford University and my band would often play for functions hosted by the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Longwood University, where Keith’s identical twin brother Kevin was a member. When the weekends came, Keith would often leave his job at the shipyard in Chesapeake, Virginia and make the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Farmville to hang out. Regardless of what was going on, we always found a little time to talk hunting.
To know these twin brothers, is to know hunting. When you hear the phrase “eat up with it”, that describes both Keith and Kevin perfectly when it comes to hunting. These brothers grew up spending lots of time in the Virginia deer and turkey woods and both are very accomplished compound bow hunters. Although time and space has kept us from seeing each other as much, our passion for the outdoors has kept us all in touch.
As I look back at text messages over the years, they are always filled with optimism and great harvest pictures as well as pictures of our children getting involved in our great sport of hunting. If I ever have a question on hunting advice, they are the one’s I turn to.
In August of 2018, the texts and phone calls took on a whole new feel. In February of 2018, Keith began to feel a little off and as Spring gobbler season approached, which is Keith’s favorite, he was feeling worse. Several doctors’ visits turned up nothing, but his symptoms kept increasing. Keith, at this point, had been working professionally as a nurse in a hospital for 23 years, and although the doctor visits revealed nothing, he knew something was wrong.
The final straw came in August of 18 when he was checking some trail cameras in Southampton County Virginia. He had walked a fair distance from his truck, and he could barely make it back. He drove himself directly to an urgent care facility and demanded a CT scan and blood work.
"August 1 2018, was the worst day of my life"
The blood test recorded Keith’s white blood cells at 95 (normal is 4-12), and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. The following day he was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). He went from checking trail cams to being in a hospital bed, surrounded by strangers being poked and prodded with needles, and in order to slow the progress of the disease, he began receiving massive doses of chemo.
I kept in touch with his brother Kevin during this initial period of diagnosis and although it was as hard on him as anyone, he was the one person that was in charge of trying to keep his brothers spirits high and cater to needs other than what the hospital provided.
On September 18, 2018, I received a text from Keith saying, “When I make it through this, I’m going to have a story to publish that should change the way we all approach life and our gift to hunt and enjoy what God has created for us.”
In late September Keith, at least found himself able to come back home in between the chemo treatments, but regardless of his lack of strength, he still wanted to get into the bow hunting woods at all cost as October was nearing. He even cranked his bow down to 60lbs so that he was able to pull it back, and he and Kevin came up with a plan for Keith to hunt in a promising spot on one the coming October afternoons. Kevin mapped out the spot and he hung some ladder sticks for Keith to get up off the ground. Finally the time came for the hunt, and Kevin led his brother to the spot. Keith started to ascend the tree and steps, but soon turned and said "I can't make it, I am too weak". Kevin knew what it would mean to his brother to make it up to the platform and he gently continued to encourage him to take his time. After fifteen minutes of trying, Keith was finally able to reach his destination and settle in for the evening hunt.
Just to put this hunt in perspective, the Grubbs brothers usually bow hunt from a mobile perspective that they call "hang and bang", where they use hang on stands and screw in steps. This allows them to adjust their hunting spots accordingly and quickly. Both are mature buck hunters and have both harvested record deer with their bows. This October hunt for Keith would have very little attention to protocal other than to just be out in the woods again enjoying what he loves, yet atleast getting off the ground for his best opportunity.
On the evening of October 12, 2018, I received a picture from Keith with a spike buck he had arrowed with the caption “CANCER WON’T STOP ME”. I remember looking at the picture and tearing up with joy and that same joy was written all over Keith’s face. I could see that he was a weakened version of himself, having lost a lot of weight and was completely bald from the chemo.
Amongst me and friends that know Keith, we have had a continuous prayer chain going for him till present. The late fall and winter of 2018 was the toughest for Keith. The heavy chemo treatments had really taken a toll on him and his spirit. He told me in our interview for this story that there were times he went to bed thinking that he wouldn’t be alive the next day, but he was at peace with it because of his faith, and the suffering that he was going through.
The type of leukemia that Keith had needed to be completely killed before any curing affect could be attempted. The most promising shot of cure comes in the form of a stem cell transplant from a matching donor. There were no immediate matches found for Keith, but in late November a match from an anonymous source in Germany was located and a January 8th 2019, a date was set up for the procedure at VCU-MCV in Richmond Virginia that would hopefully save his life.
The procedure came off as planned and after a few weeks stay at the hospital to make sure his #’s were appropriate, he was released and stayed with his brother and family who reside in Richmond for additional time just for peace of mind in case he needed help quickly.
Keith’s wife Ellie and two daughters Miah, and Kayla, also poured optimism, prayers, and love into the situation since that life changing day in August of 2018. These ladies stayed steadfast and mindful at every turn and bump in the road along this journey. They too, spent many sleepless nights in hopes of a solution. When Keith returned home in late March of 2019, the family finally felt whole again having their leader back.
“You don’t necessarily have to die to go to heaven, it’s right here if you take the time to look around”
I continued to stay in touch with Keith for updates during this time. The thing is, even though his life was on a blessed road to recovery, he will probably never be exactly like he used to be. His feeling of well-being is a bit different. He now must get used to the “new normal”, and best of all his mental disposition has forever been changed for the better.
In early April of 2019, he sent me a text that said, “Hey, I’m back on top”. He was feeling better than he had in two years, still a little weak but regaining strength daily. He was ready for Spring gobbler and had done some shed hunting and found a promising match on one of his hunting properties. He also had begun to wean himself off the medications and praying for no issues.
As Spring Gobbler season opened, I received a great picture of Keith and Kevin with matching gobblers and a caption that read “We are glad to be brothers and I get a second chance for days like today”.
As spring moved into summer and summer into fall, Keith was preparing for some bow hunting. He and Kevin spent some time together in the early bow season of October and again he felt the blessings of having another chance to experience what he had taken for granted.
“As I laid in the hospital bed over the months, I prayed that I would again be able to hear the frost on the leaves crunching under my feet as I made my way to my stand”
The colors of the Virginia Fall foliage were in full effect on November 8, 2019 as Keith decided to head to the property in Southampton County where he had found the big matching sheds earlier in the year. When he arrived just before daylight, the wind and cold kept him in his truck. This would have not been a problem in years past, but with a weakened immune system he decided to pull to the side of a field to a vantage point and just watch the open area as the sun rose.
With very little movement, except the wind, the morning continued when Keith picked up movement in the passenger’s side mirror. As he turned slowly, he was shocked to see the 160 1/8 Pope & Young giant moving along the fields edge only some 75 yards from him. Keith grabbed his binoculars and focused on the buck as he continued to move consistently along the edge towards another patch of woods.
What happened next seems so fitting for this story, as Keith continued to focus his binoculars on the buck, it turned directly to him and stopped and starred directly at him. The buck then turned and departed into the woods like a ghost.
“When the buck looked back at me it was surreal, we looked into each other’s souls”
Keith decided that he would wait for the afternoon and slip into the woods where the buck was last seen and use his climber to perch in a tree and try his luck. Just after lunch time Keith headed toward the patch of woods and found a decent tree that had apparent marks from where his brother Kevin had used screw in steps several years ago to hunt.
Keith took his time climbing and, once in place, he settled in and he started thinking back about the path his life had led him the past few years, and how very grateful he was to again be back hunting and enjoying the outdoors, but this time with a whole new respect and appreciation.
The final hour of daylight, which I like to call “power hour” was setting in on Keith, and as if scripted, he heard the rustling of leaves. As he turned slowly toward the noise, he could immediately see it was the buck he had direct eye contact with just a few short hours ago. Anyone reading this story would have to believe that this was truly “divine intervention”. The giant buck continued directly toward Keith and he stood slowly and drew his bow. When he was in range Keith relied on his practiced, yet tested instincts and let fly an arrow that found it’s mark solidly behind the front shoulder.
The big buck took off, but Keith knew his arrow placement should be fatal. Not to rush things, as most experienced bowhunters would have it, Keith backed out quietly and headed to his truck. Soon, he and his brother were on the phone and joyful tears were shared, and they set a time to meet the next morning and hopefully find this special Virginia buck.
The next morning as light showed the way, the brothers walked to the place of impact and started their methodical search. The shot was indeed true, and a path of crimson led them to where the great buck lay. It was at that moment as they both looked at the buck then looked at each other that the deep valley they experienced together over the past two years was now at a peak. Keith immediately hugged Kevin and said, “you saved my life”.
This story is a true testament to how something great can come out of true despair and should serve as a reminder to love harder, be more grateful and live each moment for the goodness it brings. It also shows what inner perseverance, love, prayers and encouragement from family, friends and community can do when consistently applied. Keith understands the true value of everyday life now and those of us who have followed along during this rough period are also better equipped to appreciate it.
Speaking of appreciation, I want to thank both Keith and Kevin for allowing me to write and share this story. Keith is known by many accomplished writers and has had some of his past outdoor accomplishments covered but, to ask me to cover his greatest accomplishment to date overwhelms me with appreciation, and I am happy to share it with you.
“Be thankful for the hunt, not so much the harvest, enjoy every minute”
Jeff Phillips
Star City Whitetails
4/24/20
I became friends with Keith Grubbs back in the 80’s during my college days. I attended Radford University and my band would often play for functions hosted by the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Longwood University, where Keith’s identical twin brother Kevin was a member. When the weekends came, Keith would often leave his job at the shipyard in Chesapeake, Virginia and make the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Farmville to hang out. Regardless of what was going on, we always found a little time to talk hunting.
To know these twin brothers, is to know hunting. When you hear the phrase “eat up with it”, that describes both Keith and Kevin perfectly when it comes to hunting. These brothers grew up spending lots of time in the Virginia deer and turkey woods and both are very accomplished compound bow hunters. Although time and space has kept us from seeing each other as much, our passion for the outdoors has kept us all in touch.
As I look back at text messages over the years, they are always filled with optimism and great harvest pictures as well as pictures of our children getting involved in our great sport of hunting. If I ever have a question on hunting advice, they are the one’s I turn to.
In August of 2018, the texts and phone calls took on a whole new feel. In February of 2018, Keith began to feel a little off and as Spring gobbler season approached, which is Keith’s favorite, he was feeling worse. Several doctors’ visits turned up nothing, but his symptoms kept increasing. Keith, at this point, had been working professionally as a nurse in a hospital for 23 years, and although the doctor visits revealed nothing, he knew something was wrong.
The final straw came in August of 18 when he was checking some trail cameras in Southampton County Virginia. He had walked a fair distance from his truck, and he could barely make it back. He drove himself directly to an urgent care facility and demanded a CT scan and blood work.
"August 1 2018, was the worst day of my life"
The blood test recorded Keith’s white blood cells at 95 (normal is 4-12), and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. The following day he was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). He went from checking trail cams to being in a hospital bed, surrounded by strangers being poked and prodded with needles, and in order to slow the progress of the disease, he began receiving massive doses of chemo.
I kept in touch with his brother Kevin during this initial period of diagnosis and although it was as hard on him as anyone, he was the one person that was in charge of trying to keep his brothers spirits high and cater to needs other than what the hospital provided.
On September 18, 2018, I received a text from Keith saying, “When I make it through this, I’m going to have a story to publish that should change the way we all approach life and our gift to hunt and enjoy what God has created for us.”
In late September Keith, at least found himself able to come back home in between the chemo treatments, but regardless of his lack of strength, he still wanted to get into the bow hunting woods at all cost as October was nearing. He even cranked his bow down to 60lbs so that he was able to pull it back, and he and Kevin came up with a plan for Keith to hunt in a promising spot on one the coming October afternoons. Kevin mapped out the spot and he hung some ladder sticks for Keith to get up off the ground. Finally the time came for the hunt, and Kevin led his brother to the spot. Keith started to ascend the tree and steps, but soon turned and said "I can't make it, I am too weak". Kevin knew what it would mean to his brother to make it up to the platform and he gently continued to encourage him to take his time. After fifteen minutes of trying, Keith was finally able to reach his destination and settle in for the evening hunt.
Just to put this hunt in perspective, the Grubbs brothers usually bow hunt from a mobile perspective that they call "hang and bang", where they use hang on stands and screw in steps. This allows them to adjust their hunting spots accordingly and quickly. Both are mature buck hunters and have both harvested record deer with their bows. This October hunt for Keith would have very little attention to protocal other than to just be out in the woods again enjoying what he loves, yet atleast getting off the ground for his best opportunity.
On the evening of October 12, 2018, I received a picture from Keith with a spike buck he had arrowed with the caption “CANCER WON’T STOP ME”. I remember looking at the picture and tearing up with joy and that same joy was written all over Keith’s face. I could see that he was a weakened version of himself, having lost a lot of weight and was completely bald from the chemo.
Amongst me and friends that know Keith, we have had a continuous prayer chain going for him till present. The late fall and winter of 2018 was the toughest for Keith. The heavy chemo treatments had really taken a toll on him and his spirit. He told me in our interview for this story that there were times he went to bed thinking that he wouldn’t be alive the next day, but he was at peace with it because of his faith, and the suffering that he was going through.
The type of leukemia that Keith had needed to be completely killed before any curing affect could be attempted. The most promising shot of cure comes in the form of a stem cell transplant from a matching donor. There were no immediate matches found for Keith, but in late November a match from an anonymous source in Germany was located and a January 8th 2019, a date was set up for the procedure at VCU-MCV in Richmond Virginia that would hopefully save his life.
The procedure came off as planned and after a few weeks stay at the hospital to make sure his #’s were appropriate, he was released and stayed with his brother and family who reside in Richmond for additional time just for peace of mind in case he needed help quickly.
Keith’s wife Ellie and two daughters Miah, and Kayla, also poured optimism, prayers, and love into the situation since that life changing day in August of 2018. These ladies stayed steadfast and mindful at every turn and bump in the road along this journey. They too, spent many sleepless nights in hopes of a solution. When Keith returned home in late March of 2019, the family finally felt whole again having their leader back.
“You don’t necessarily have to die to go to heaven, it’s right here if you take the time to look around”
I continued to stay in touch with Keith for updates during this time. The thing is, even though his life was on a blessed road to recovery, he will probably never be exactly like he used to be. His feeling of well-being is a bit different. He now must get used to the “new normal”, and best of all his mental disposition has forever been changed for the better.
In early April of 2019, he sent me a text that said, “Hey, I’m back on top”. He was feeling better than he had in two years, still a little weak but regaining strength daily. He was ready for Spring gobbler and had done some shed hunting and found a promising match on one of his hunting properties. He also had begun to wean himself off the medications and praying for no issues.
As Spring Gobbler season opened, I received a great picture of Keith and Kevin with matching gobblers and a caption that read “We are glad to be brothers and I get a second chance for days like today”.
As spring moved into summer and summer into fall, Keith was preparing for some bow hunting. He and Kevin spent some time together in the early bow season of October and again he felt the blessings of having another chance to experience what he had taken for granted.
“As I laid in the hospital bed over the months, I prayed that I would again be able to hear the frost on the leaves crunching under my feet as I made my way to my stand”
The colors of the Virginia Fall foliage were in full effect on November 8, 2019 as Keith decided to head to the property in Southampton County where he had found the big matching sheds earlier in the year. When he arrived just before daylight, the wind and cold kept him in his truck. This would have not been a problem in years past, but with a weakened immune system he decided to pull to the side of a field to a vantage point and just watch the open area as the sun rose.
With very little movement, except the wind, the morning continued when Keith picked up movement in the passenger’s side mirror. As he turned slowly, he was shocked to see the 160 1/8 Pope & Young giant moving along the fields edge only some 75 yards from him. Keith grabbed his binoculars and focused on the buck as he continued to move consistently along the edge towards another patch of woods.
What happened next seems so fitting for this story, as Keith continued to focus his binoculars on the buck, it turned directly to him and stopped and starred directly at him. The buck then turned and departed into the woods like a ghost.
“When the buck looked back at me it was surreal, we looked into each other’s souls”
Keith decided that he would wait for the afternoon and slip into the woods where the buck was last seen and use his climber to perch in a tree and try his luck. Just after lunch time Keith headed toward the patch of woods and found a decent tree that had apparent marks from where his brother Kevin had used screw in steps several years ago to hunt.
Keith took his time climbing and, once in place, he settled in and he started thinking back about the path his life had led him the past few years, and how very grateful he was to again be back hunting and enjoying the outdoors, but this time with a whole new respect and appreciation.
The final hour of daylight, which I like to call “power hour” was setting in on Keith, and as if scripted, he heard the rustling of leaves. As he turned slowly toward the noise, he could immediately see it was the buck he had direct eye contact with just a few short hours ago. Anyone reading this story would have to believe that this was truly “divine intervention”. The giant buck continued directly toward Keith and he stood slowly and drew his bow. When he was in range Keith relied on his practiced, yet tested instincts and let fly an arrow that found it’s mark solidly behind the front shoulder.
The big buck took off, but Keith knew his arrow placement should be fatal. Not to rush things, as most experienced bowhunters would have it, Keith backed out quietly and headed to his truck. Soon, he and his brother were on the phone and joyful tears were shared, and they set a time to meet the next morning and hopefully find this special Virginia buck.
The next morning as light showed the way, the brothers walked to the place of impact and started their methodical search. The shot was indeed true, and a path of crimson led them to where the great buck lay. It was at that moment as they both looked at the buck then looked at each other that the deep valley they experienced together over the past two years was now at a peak. Keith immediately hugged Kevin and said, “you saved my life”.
This story is a true testament to how something great can come out of true despair and should serve as a reminder to love harder, be more grateful and live each moment for the goodness it brings. It also shows what inner perseverance, love, prayers and encouragement from family, friends and community can do when consistently applied. Keith understands the true value of everyday life now and those of us who have followed along during this rough period are also better equipped to appreciate it.
Speaking of appreciation, I want to thank both Keith and Kevin for allowing me to write and share this story. Keith is known by many accomplished writers and has had some of his past outdoor accomplishments covered but, to ask me to cover his greatest accomplishment to date overwhelms me with appreciation, and I am happy to share it with you.
“Be thankful for the hunt, not so much the harvest, enjoy every minute”
Jeff Phillips
Star City Whitetails
4/24/20
I became friends with Keith Grubbs back in the 80’s during my college days. I attended Radford University and my band would often play for functions hosted by the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Longwood University, where Keith’s identical twin brother Kevin was a member. When the weekends came, Keith would often leave his job at the shipyard in Chesapeake, Virginia and make the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Farmville to hang out. Regardless of what was going on, we always found a little time to talk hunting.
To know these twin brothers, is to know hunting. When you hear the phrase “eat up with it”, that describes both Keith and Kevin perfectly when it comes to hunting. These brothers grew up spending lots of time in the Virginia deer and turkey woods and both are very accomplished compound bow hunters. Although time and space has kept us from seeing each other as much, our passion for the outdoors has kept us all in touch.
As I look back at text messages over the years, they are always filled with optimism and great harvest pictures as well as pictures of our children getting involved in our great sport of hunting. If I ever have a question on hunting advice, they are the one’s I turn to.
In August of 2018, the texts and phone calls took on a whole new feel. In February of 2018, Keith began to feel a little off and as Spring gobbler season approached, which is Keith’s favorite, he was feeling worse. Several doctors’ visits turned up nothing, but his symptoms kept increasing. Keith, at this point, had been working professionally as a nurse in a hospital for 23 years, and although the doctor visits revealed nothing, he knew something was wrong.
The final straw came in August of 18 when he was checking some trail cameras in Southampton County Virginia. He had walked a fair distance from his truck, and he could barely make it back. He drove himself directly to an urgent care facility and demanded a CT scan and blood work.
"August 1 2018, was the worst day of my life"
The blood test recorded Keith’s white blood cells at 95 (normal is 4-12), and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. The following day he was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). He went from checking trail cams to being in a hospital bed, surrounded by strangers being poked and prodded with needles, and in order to slow the progress of the disease, he began receiving massive doses of chemo.
I kept in touch with his brother Kevin during this initial period of diagnosis and although it was as hard on him as anyone, he was the one person that was in charge of trying to keep his brothers spirits high and cater to needs other than what the hospital provided.
On September 18, 2018, I received a text from Keith saying, “When I make it through this, I’m going to have a story to publish that should change the way we all approach life and our gift to hunt and enjoy what God has created for us.”
In late September Keith, at least found himself able to come back home in between the chemo treatments, but regardless of his lack of strength, he still wanted to get into the bow hunting woods at all cost as October was nearing. He even cranked his bow down to 60lbs so that he was able to pull it back, and he and Kevin came up with a plan for Keith to hunt in a promising spot on one the coming October afternoons. Kevin mapped out the spot and he hung some ladder sticks for Keith to get up off the ground. Finally the time came for the hunt, and Kevin led his brother to the spot. Keith started to ascend the tree and steps, but soon turned and said "I can't make it, I am too weak". Kevin knew what it would mean to his brother to make it up to the platform and he gently continued to encourage him to take his time. After fifteen minutes of trying, Keith was finally able to reach his destination and settle in for the evening hunt.
Just to put this hunt in perspective, the Grubbs brothers usually bow hunt from a mobile perspective that they call "hang and bang", where they use hang on stands and screw in steps. This allows them to adjust their hunting spots accordingly and quickly. Both are mature buck hunters and have both harvested record deer with their bows. This October hunt for Keith would have very little attention to protocal other than to just be out in the woods again enjoying what he loves, yet atleast getting off the ground for his best opportunity.
On the evening of October 12, 2018, I received a picture from Keith with a spike buck he had arrowed with the caption “CANCER WON’T STOP ME”. I remember looking at the picture and tearing up with joy and that same joy was written all over Keith’s face. I could see that he was a weakened version of himself, having lost a lot of weight and was completely bald from the chemo.
Amongst me and friends that know Keith, we have had a continuous prayer chain going for him till present. The late fall and winter of 2018 was the toughest for Keith. The heavy chemo treatments had really taken a toll on him and his spirit. He told me in our interview for this story that there were times he went to bed thinking that he wouldn’t be alive the next day, but he was at peace with it because of his faith, and the suffering that he was going through.
The type of leukemia that Keith had needed to be completely killed before any curing affect could be attempted. The most promising shot of cure comes in the form of a stem cell transplant from a matching donor. There were no immediate matches found for Keith, but in late November a match from an anonymous source in Germany was located and a January 8th 2019, a date was set up for the procedure at VCU-MCV in Richmond Virginia that would hopefully save his life.
The procedure came off as planned and after a few weeks stay at the hospital to make sure his #’s were appropriate, he was released and stayed with his brother and family who reside in Richmond for additional time just for peace of mind in case he needed help quickly.
Keith’s wife Ellie and two daughters Miah, and Kayla, also poured optimism, prayers, and love into the situation since that life changing day in August of 2018. These ladies stayed steadfast and mindful at every turn and bump in the road along this journey. They too, spent many sleepless nights in hopes of a solution. When Keith returned home in late March of 2019, the family finally felt whole again having their leader back.
“You don’t necessarily have to die to go to heaven, it’s right here if you take the time to look around”
I continued to stay in touch with Keith for updates during this time. The thing is, even though his life was on a blessed road to recovery, he will probably never be exactly like he used to be. His feeling of well-being is a bit different. He now must get used to the “new normal”, and best of all his mental disposition has forever been changed for the better.
In early April of 2019, he sent me a text that said, “Hey, I’m back on top”. He was feeling better than he had in two years, still a little weak but regaining strength daily. He was ready for Spring gobbler and had done some shed hunting and found a promising match on one of his hunting properties. He also had begun to wean himself off the medications and praying for no issues.
As Spring Gobbler season opened, I received a great picture of Keith and Kevin with matching gobblers and a caption that read “We are glad to be brothers and I get a second chance for days like today”.
As spring moved into summer and summer into fall, Keith was preparing for some bow hunting. He and Kevin spent some time together in the early bow season of October and again he felt the blessings of having another chance to experience what he had taken for granted.
“As I laid in the hospital bed over the months, I prayed that I would again be able to hear the frost on the leaves crunching under my feet as I made my way to my stand”
The colors of the Virginia Fall foliage were in full effect on November 8, 2019 as Keith decided to head to the property in Southampton County where he had found the big matching sheds earlier in the year. When he arrived just before daylight, the wind and cold kept him in his truck. This would have not been a problem in years past, but with a weakened immune system he decided to pull to the side of a field to a vantage point and just watch the open area as the sun rose.
With very little movement, except the wind, the morning continued when Keith picked up movement in the passenger’s side mirror. As he turned slowly, he was shocked to see the 160 1/8 Pope & Young giant moving along the fields edge only some 75 yards from him. Keith grabbed his binoculars and focused on the buck as he continued to move consistently along the edge towards another patch of woods.
What happened next seems so fitting for this story, as Keith continued to focus his binoculars on the buck, it turned directly to him and stopped and starred directly at him. The buck then turned and departed into the woods like a ghost.
“When the buck looked back at me it was surreal, we looked into each other’s souls”
Keith decided that he would wait for the afternoon and slip into the woods where the buck was last seen and use his climber to perch in a tree and try his luck. Just after lunch time Keith headed toward the patch of woods and found a decent tree that had apparent marks from where his brother Kevin had used screw in steps several years ago to hunt.
Keith took his time climbing and, once in place, he settled in and he started thinking back about the path his life had led him the past few years, and how very grateful he was to again be back hunting and enjoying the outdoors, but this time with a whole new respect and appreciation.
The final hour of daylight, which I like to call “power hour” was setting in on Keith, and as if scripted, he heard the rustling of leaves. As he turned slowly toward the noise, he could immediately see it was the buck he had direct eye contact with just a few short hours ago. Anyone reading this story would have to believe that this was truly “divine intervention”. The giant buck continued directly toward Keith and he stood slowly and drew his bow. When he was in range Keith relied on his practiced, yet tested instincts and let fly an arrow that found it’s mark solidly behind the front shoulder.
The big buck took off, but Keith knew his arrow placement should be fatal. Not to rush things, as most experienced bowhunters would have it, Keith backed out quietly and headed to his truck. Soon, he and his brother were on the phone and joyful tears were shared, and they set a time to meet the next morning and hopefully find this special Virginia buck.
The next morning as light showed the way, the brothers walked to the place of impact and started their methodical search. The shot was indeed true, and a path of crimson led them to where the great buck lay. It was at that moment as they both looked at the buck then looked at each other that the deep valley they experienced together over the past two years was now at a peak. Keith immediately hugged Kevin and said, “you saved my life”.
This story is a true testament to how something great can come out of true despair and should serve as a reminder to love harder, be more grateful and live each moment for the goodness it brings. It also shows what inner perseverance, love, prayers and encouragement from family, friends and community can do when consistently applied. Keith understands the true value of everyday life now and those of us who have followed along during this rough period are also better equipped to appreciate it.
Speaking of appreciation, I want to thank both Keith and Kevin for allowing me to write and share this story. Keith is known by many accomplished writers and has had some of his past outdoor accomplishments covered but, to ask me to cover his greatest accomplishment to date overwhelms me with appreciation, and I am happy to share it with you.
“Be thankful for the hunt, not so much the harvest, enjoy every minute”
Jeff Phillips
Star City Whitetails
4/24/20
I became friends with Keith Grubbs back in the 80’s during my college days. I attended Radford University and my band would often play for functions hosted by the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Longwood University, where Keith’s identical twin brother Kevin was a member. When the weekends came, Keith would often leave his job at the shipyard in Chesapeake, Virginia and make the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Farmville to hang out. Regardless of what was going on, we always found a little time to talk hunting.
To know these twin brothers, is to know hunting. When you hear the phrase “eat up with it”, that describes both Keith and Kevin perfectly when it comes to hunting. These brothers grew up spending lots of time in the Virginia deer and turkey woods and both are very accomplished compound bow hunters. Although time and space has kept us from seeing each other as much, our passion for the outdoors has kept us all in touch.
As I look back at text messages over the years, they are always filled with optimism and great harvest pictures as well as pictures of our children getting involved in our great sport of hunting. If I ever have a question on hunting advice, they are the one’s I turn to.
In August of 2018, the texts and phone calls took on a whole new feel. In February of 2018, Keith began to feel a little off and as Spring gobbler season approached, which is Keith’s favorite, he was feeling worse. Several doctors’ visits turned up nothing, but his symptoms kept increasing. Keith, at this point, had been working professionally as a nurse in a hospital for 23 years, and although the doctor visits revealed nothing, he knew something was wrong.
The final straw came in August of 18 when he was checking some trail cameras in Southampton County Virginia. He had walked a fair distance from his truck, and he could barely make it back. He drove himself directly to an urgent care facility and demanded a CT scan and blood work.
"August 1 2018, was the worst day of my life"
The blood test recorded Keith’s white blood cells at 95 (normal is 4-12), and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. The following day he was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). He went from checking trail cams to being in a hospital bed, surrounded by strangers being poked and prodded with needles, and in order to slow the progress of the disease, he began receiving massive doses of chemo.
I kept in touch with his brother Kevin during this initial period of diagnosis and although it was as hard on him as anyone, he was the one person that was in charge of trying to keep his brothers spirits high and cater to needs other than what the hospital provided.
On September 18, 2018, I received a text from Keith saying, “When I make it through this, I’m going to have a story to publish that should change the way we all approach life and our gift to hunt and enjoy what God has created for us.”
In late September Keith, at least found himself able to come back home in between the chemo treatments, but regardless of his lack of strength, he still wanted to get into the bow hunting woods at all cost as October was nearing. He even cranked his bow down to 60lbs so that he was able to pull it back, and he and Kevin came up with a plan for Keith to hunt in a promising spot on one the coming October afternoons. Kevin mapped out the spot and he hung some ladder sticks for Keith to get up off the ground. Finally the time came for the hunt, and Kevin led his brother to the spot. Keith started to ascend the tree and steps, but soon turned and said "I can't make it, I am too weak". Kevin knew what it would mean to his brother to make it up to the platform and he gently continued to encourage him to take his time. After fifteen minutes of trying, Keith was finally able to reach his destination and settle in for the evening hunt.
Just to put this hunt in perspective, the Grubbs brothers usually bow hunt from a mobile perspective that they call "hang and bang", where they use hang on stands and screw in steps. This allows them to adjust their hunting spots accordingly and quickly. Both are mature buck hunters and have both harvested record deer with their bows. This October hunt for Keith would have very little attention to protocal other than to just be out in the woods again enjoying what he loves, yet atleast getting off the ground for his best opportunity.
On the evening of October 12, 2018, I received a picture from Keith with a spike buck he had arrowed with the caption “CANCER WON’T STOP ME”. I remember looking at the picture and tearing up with joy and that same joy was written all over Keith’s face. I could see that he was a weakened version of himself, having lost a lot of weight and was completely bald from the chemo.
Amongst me and friends that know Keith, we have had a continuous prayer chain going for him till present. The late fall and winter of 2018 was the toughest for Keith. The heavy chemo treatments had really taken a toll on him and his spirit. He told me in our interview for this story that there were times he went to bed thinking that he wouldn’t be alive the next day, but he was at peace with it because of his faith, and the suffering that he was going through.
The type of leukemia that Keith had needed to be completely killed before any curing affect could be attempted. The most promising shot of cure comes in the form of a stem cell transplant from a matching donor. There were no immediate matches found for Keith, but in late November a match from an anonymous source in Germany was located and a January 8th 2019, a date was set up for the procedure at VCU-MCV in Richmond Virginia that would hopefully save his life.
The procedure came off as planned and after a few weeks stay at the hospital to make sure his #’s were appropriate, he was released and stayed with his brother and family who reside in Richmond for additional time just for peace of mind in case he needed help quickly.
Keith’s wife Ellie and two daughters Miah, and Kayla, also poured optimism, prayers, and love into the situation since that life changing day in August of 2018. These ladies stayed steadfast and mindful at every turn and bump in the road along this journey. They too, spent many sleepless nights in hopes of a solution. When Keith returned home in late March of 2019, the family finally felt whole again having their leader back.
“You don’t necessarily have to die to go to heaven, it’s right here if you take the time to look around”
I continued to stay in touch with Keith for updates during this time. The thing is, even though his life was on a blessed road to recovery, he will probably never be exactly like he used to be. His feeling of well-being is a bit different. He now must get used to the “new normal”, and best of all his mental disposition has forever been changed for the better.
In early April of 2019, he sent me a text that said, “Hey, I’m back on top”. He was feeling better than he had in two years, still a little weak but regaining strength daily. He was ready for Spring gobbler and had done some shed hunting and found a promising match on one of his hunting properties. He also had begun to wean himself off the medications and praying for no issues.
As Spring Gobbler season opened, I received a great picture of Keith and Kevin with matching gobblers and a caption that read “We are glad to be brothers and I get a second chance for days like today”.
As spring moved into summer and summer into fall, Keith was preparing for some bow hunting. He and Kevin spent some time together in the early bow season of October and again he felt the blessings of having another chance to experience what he had taken for granted.
“As I laid in the hospital bed over the months, I prayed that I would again be able to hear the frost on the leaves crunching under my feet as I made my way to my stand”
The colors of the Virginia Fall foliage were in full effect on November 8, 2019 as Keith decided to head to the property in Southampton County where he had found the big matching sheds earlier in the year. When he arrived just before daylight, the wind and cold kept him in his truck. This would have not been a problem in years past, but with a weakened immune system he decided to pull to the side of a field to a vantage point and just watch the open area as the sun rose.
With very little movement, except the wind, the morning continued when Keith picked up movement in the passenger’s side mirror. As he turned slowly, he was shocked to see the 160 1/8 Pope & Young giant moving along the fields edge only some 75 yards from him. Keith grabbed his binoculars and focused on the buck as he continued to move consistently along the edge towards another patch of woods.
What happened next seems so fitting for this story, as Keith continued to focus his binoculars on the buck, it turned directly to him and stopped and starred directly at him. The buck then turned and departed into the woods like a ghost.
“When the buck looked back at me it was surreal, we looked into each other’s souls”
Keith decided that he would wait for the afternoon and slip into the woods where the buck was last seen and use his climber to perch in a tree and try his luck. Just after lunch time Keith headed toward the patch of woods and found a decent tree that had apparent marks from where his brother Kevin had used screw in steps several years ago to hunt.
Keith took his time climbing and, once in place, he settled in and he started thinking back about the path his life had led him the past few years, and how very grateful he was to again be back hunting and enjoying the outdoors, but this time with a whole new respect and appreciation.
The final hour of daylight, which I like to call “power hour” was setting in on Keith, and as if scripted, he heard the rustling of leaves. As he turned slowly toward the noise, he could immediately see it was the buck he had direct eye contact with just a few short hours ago. Anyone reading this story would have to believe that this was truly “divine intervention”. The giant buck continued directly toward Keith and he stood slowly and drew his bow. When he was in range Keith relied on his practiced, yet tested instincts and let fly an arrow that found it’s mark solidly behind the front shoulder.
The big buck took off, but Keith knew his arrow placement should be fatal. Not to rush things, as most experienced bowhunters would have it, Keith backed out quietly and headed to his truck. Soon, he and his brother were on the phone and joyful tears were shared, and they set a time to meet the next morning and hopefully find this special Virginia buck.
The next morning as light showed the way, the brothers walked to the place of impact and started their methodical search. The shot was indeed true, and a path of crimson led them to where the great buck lay. It was at that moment as they both looked at the buck then looked at each other that the deep valley they experienced together over the past two years was now at a peak. Keith immediately hugged Kevin and said, “you saved my life”.
This story is a true testament to how something great can come out of true despair and should serve as a reminder to love harder, be more grateful and live each moment for the goodness it brings. It also shows what inner perseverance, love, prayers and encouragement from family, friends and community can do when consistently applied. Keith understands the true value of everyday life now and those of us who have followed along during this rough period are also better equipped to appreciate it.
Speaking of appreciation, I want to thank both Keith and Kevin for allowing me to write and share this story. Keith is known by many accomplished writers and has had some of his past outdoor accomplishments covered but, to ask me to cover his greatest accomplishment to date overwhelms me with appreciation, and I am happy to share it with you.
“Be thankful for the hunt, not so much the harvest, enjoy every minute”
Jeff Phillips
Star City Whitetails
4/24/20
