CASTING a LIFELINE for VETERANS Guyton Man Helps Fellow Disabled Vets Calm Turbulent Waters Through Fishing Group Story by Stephen Prudhomme Photos by Jami Brannen
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isabled veterans returning home often have difficulty readjusting to civilian life as they battle physical, mental and emotional issues. A number of them, unfortunately, are unable to cope and commit suicide. One of their own is casting a lifeline through a sport he loves and has helped provide healing in his own life. Kevin Edwards, 56, is a resident of Guyton who works as a technical specialist and writer in Gulfstream’s Technical Operations Department. He’s also a disabled veteran who served in aviation in the Air Force and as a forward observer and infantryman in the Army National Guard during a 14-year military career. As a result of being an infantryman late in his career, Edwards developed degenerative disc disease and was medically discharged right before he was scheduled for deployment to Kuwait.
www.PoolerMagazine.com | January/February 2021
Returning home, Edwards struggled to regain a sense of normalcy as he endured debilitating pain from his neck to his legs and went through three surgeries. He found solace in fishing, an avocation he had pursued for much of his life, reveling in the calming effects of being out in nature and on the water in his boat. Catching the big one was a bonus. Spreading his Net Earlier this year, Edwards spread his fishing net, so to speak, starting Casting For a Cause Disabled Veterans Foundation, a nonprofit group designed to help disabled veterans and hopefully reduce the number of daily suicides that currently stands at 22. “I want to promote awareness of the suicide problem among veterans while also providing opportunities for healing, regardless of what their disability may
