Nine-year-old Brandon “Chomp” Barela had spent months getting ready for his first-ever 4-H livestock show at the Weber County Fair, raising a goat named Santa as a member of the West Weber Wether’s Club. Then, just one week before the fair, his heart failed again, and he could not step into the ring at all.
Barela was born with Down syndrome and a congenital heart defect, and according to Utah State University, he experienced heart failure in March and underwent surgery to receive a pacemaker and a new heart valve. The setback right before the fair meant he was unable to show Santa himself, but his best friend and fellow 4-H member, Tyttan Sappington, stepped in and led the goat into the ring on his behalf. Weber County’s 4-H program coordinator, Sharon Bee, said the auction ring went quiet when Tyttan brought Chomp’s goat in.
A Friendship Built Around Livestock
Bee said Chomp developed his interest in livestock through his friendship with Tyttan, the bond that ultimately let him take part in a fair he otherwise might have had to sit out entirely. 4-H exhibitors are normally required to complete two educational activities before showing their animals, but Chomp’s medical challenges kept him from attending everything required. His club leader and Bee agreed to let him participate anyway, and Tyttan’s willingness to show Santa in his place allowed the goat to qualify for the livestock auction.
When bidding opened for Santa, buyers joined forces to contribute toward the purchase, and the price climbed well past what anyone expected. The Weber County Junior Livestock Auction ultimately raised more than $41,000 for Barela and his family, and the buyers then returned Santa to the family so Chomp could take the goat home and keep caring for him. Santa remains with the Barela family today.
Brandon has spent much of the year hospitalized at Primary Children’s Hospital, according to KUTV, and his family has since said publicly that it never requested donations, does not have an active GoFundMe, and has not authorized anyone to collect cash on its behalf. The station also reported that Brandon was officially placed on the heart transplant waiting list through the United Network for Organ Sharing. Accounts of his transplant status differ: Utah State University’s telling of the story says the boy is awaiting a heart transplant, while separate seed reporting from KSL.com states he received a heart transplant on Sept. 1. Per Bee, the family has since returned home from the hospital.
A Second Weber Family Wasn't the Only One Helped
Barela’s case was not the only 4-H fundraiser to unfold in Utah this year. A young Salt Lake County 4-H exhibitor battling a rare form of cancer also received community support: a Salt Lake County Junior Livestock Auction raised approximately $15,000 for the exhibitor, with Les Schwab and the Bastian Family Foundation helping raise that amount through the sale of the young exhibitor’s lamb, per the same account from USU.edu.
Kaitlyn Lunt, Utah’s state 4-H program coordinator for communications and outreach, said the fundraisers reflected the relationships that exist among exhibitors, businesses and their communities. Neither fundraiser was the result of a formal request from either family — community members independently decided to help after learning what the children were going through. The report notes that livestock projects already require substantial investments of time and money from young exhibitors before any health crisis even enters the picture.
Similar stories have played out beyond Utah this year. In Pennsylvania, 13-year-old Rosalie Cox donated $10,300 from the sale of her market goat to help 11-year-old Michael Toth and his family cover expenses during his leukemia treatment, according to the Mon Valley Independent. Bidding for her goat reached $100 per pound at the Washington County Agricultural Fair auction on Aug. 21.
How the Livestock-Sale System Works
Utah’s 4-H livestock programs are built around months of hands-on responsibility. USU Extension Weber County describes its 4-H offerings as ranging from livestock and sewing to leadership and robotics, with the Livestock Program specifically designed to teach youth about selection, care and management while building leadership, citizenship, self-esteem and showmanship. USU Extension Morgan County notes that exhibitors spend several months learning to properly care for their animals before a single fair.
The auction structure itself is designed to flex for situations like Chomp’s. Buyers who want to support an exhibitor without taking the animal home can pay the difference between the final bid and the packer price, and two or more individuals, families, businesses or organizations can split the cost of a single animal, per USU Extension Morgan County’s explanation of the process. The Weber County Fair notes that proceeds from these sales often go toward a young exhibitor’s college education, a humanitarian service mission, or simply a start in life after high school.
Weber County 4-H has more community moments planned in the weeks ahead. National 4-H Week runs Oct. 4-10, with Weber County encouraging members to wear green on Oct. 5 and holding a Thankful Thursday event on Oct. 8. The broader 4-H program also includes STEM projects and outdoor recreation, giving families like the Barelas other avenues for connection beyond the show ring where their son’s community first showed up for him.
