Wheelie Nelson, a partially paralyzed Shawnee goat, has become an online celebrity | KCUR

Call it the G.O.A.T. of fundraisers.

An online donation drive for a partially paralyzed goat in Shawnee has raised more than $8,000 that will help pay for customized wheels and ongoing medical care for a young goat, appropriately named Wheelie Nelson.

Jordyn Doherty of Shawnee owns and takes care of Wheelie and says she noticed his struggle to use his back legs soon after he was born about three months ago.

On trips to her parents’ farm in De Soto, where Wheelie was born, Doherty, could see Wheelie carrying himself across their yard, using his front legs to drag his rear.

“One day, we went outside, and he was just sitting because he couldn’t walk. So we just started picking up his back end,” she said.

To make it easier for Wheelie to get around, Nelson and her friend, Anthony Buccini, bought him a wheelchair designed for dogs, which he quickly outgrew. A wheelchair more suited to his size turned out to be more expensive.

“I found this website (that makes) customized wheelchairs for dogs, and they had a goat on their website. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is perfect.’ So I ended up messaging them, and I’m sending them all the measurements, and they’re going to try to customize this one. But it’s pricey,” she said.

Doherty started a GoFundMe, with the original goal of raising $300, but people seemed so taken by Wheelie Nelson’s story that donations poured in, topping more than $8,100 in three weeks.

Wheelie Nelson’s fund drive was eventually chosen as a featured campaign by GoFundMe on social media.

“It just blew up,” Doherty said.

Wheelie Nelson was an unexpected surprise

When Wheelie Nelson was born, it came as a surprise to everyone.

“We actually didn’t even know that (Wheelie’s) mom was pregnant,” Doherty said. “My brother went out to do the chores … and he came back, and he was like, ‘We have a goat out there. It’s a baby goat out there.’”

A veterinarian told Doherty a difficult birth might have been the cause of Wheelie’s mobility issues.

“It can be a vitamin deficiency. It can be just a hard birth, (like) he was stuck in the womb, possibly, and didn’t have enough room,” she said.

Knowing Wheelie will never have use of his back legs, Doherty said she had to make a quick decision. While it’s her goat, it spends the majority of its time at her parents’ property with its mother.

Animals with mobility issues on a farm are normally put down because they’re easy targets for predators, she added.

“We were like, ‘Okay, so what do we do? We either have to put him down, or we have to figure out how to help him, because he’s not gonna make it,’” she said.

Already raising a dog that lost its lower jaw to cancer, Doherty had experience dealing with animals with special needs. She figured she could use that care and attention she learned to help give Wheelie a comfortable life.

Wheelie has become a local celebrity of sorts

Since adopting Wheelie, Doherty said he’s become a beloved animal wherever he goes.

Pushing him in a stroller with his brother, Jelly Bean, a baby goat born several weeks after Wheelie, at stores and outdoor shops, Doherty said quick trips to go shopping have now turned into hour-long meet-and-greets.

“You’re there for an hour because everybody wants a picture, and everybody wants to pet them, and everybody wants to know their story,” she said.

When Doherty sees the goats put smiles on other people’s faces, she said she’s reminded of the joy they brought her. After a tough year, she said they became two unexpected blessings.

“I just went through a hard, probably, six months … I know I could have used something cute, fluffy and friendly,” she said. “They just remind me that God works through even the little things, like two little goats.”

The fundraiser will be used for accessibility need

Watching the GoFundMe exceed expectations, Doherty said the funds will be used for a variety of needs, including better accessibility for Wheelie at her parents’ farm, as well as food and medical care.

“We’d like to get him therapy that paralyzed dogs can get, where they stretch their legs. I’d like to look into that just so he’s more comfortable (because) I’m not sure how this affects his spine,” she said.

As a new owner of two baby goats, Doherty said she’s learning as she goes, but is thankful for the support.

“I hope sharing them can encourage others to see God’s hand in the blessings around them and the ways he can bring light into hard seasons,” she said.

This story was originally published by the Johnson County Post.