<\/p>\n
Call it the G.O.A.T. of fundraisers.<\/p>\n
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.<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n On trips to her parents\u2019 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.<\/p>\n \u201cOne day, we went outside, and he was just sitting because he couldn\u2019t walk. So we just started picking up his back end,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI found this website (that makes) customized wheelchairs for dogs, and they had a goat on their website. And I was like, \u2018Oh my gosh, this is perfect.\u2019 So I ended up messaging them, and I\u2019m sending them all the measurements, and they\u2019re going to try to customize this one. But it\u2019s pricey,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Doherty started a GoFundMe,<\/a> with the original goal of raising $300, but people seemed so taken by Wheelie Nelson\u2019s story that donations poured in, topping more than $8,100 in three weeks.<\/p>\n Wheelie Nelson\u2019s fund drive was eventually chosen as a featured campaign by GoFundMe<\/a> on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just blew up,\u201d Doherty said.<\/p>\n Andrew Gaug<\/p>\n \/<\/p>\n Johnson County Post <\/p>\n<\/div> When Wheelie Nelson was born, it came as a surprise to everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cWe actually didn\u2019t even know that (Wheelie\u2019s) mom was pregnant,\u201d Doherty said. \u201cMy brother went out to do the chores \u2026 and he came back, and he was like, \u2018We have a goat out there. It\u2019s a baby goat out there.’\u201d<\/p>\n A veterinarian told Doherty a difficult birth might have been the cause of Wheelie\u2019s mobility issues.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can be a vitamin deficiency. It can be just a hard birth, (like) he was stuck in the womb, possibly, and didn\u2019t have enough room,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Knowing Wheelie will never have use of his back legs, Doherty said she had to make a quick decision. While it\u2019s her goat, it spends the majority of its time at her parents\u2019 property with its mother.<\/p>\n Animals with mobility issues on a farm are normally put down because they\u2019re easy targets for predators, she added.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were like, \u2018Okay, so what do we do? We either have to put him down, or we have to figure out how to help him, because he\u2019s not gonna make it,’\u201d she said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Since adopting Wheelie, Doherty said he\u2019s become a beloved animal wherever he goes.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re there for an hour because everybody wants a picture, and everybody wants to pet them, and everybody wants to know their story,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n When Doherty sees the goats put smiles on other people\u2019s faces, she said she\u2019s reminded of the joy they brought her. After a tough year, she said they became two unexpected blessings.<\/p>\n \u201cI just went through a hard, probably, six months \u2026 I know I could have used something cute, fluffy and friendly,\u201d she said. \u201cThey just remind me that God works through even the little things, like two little goats.\u201d<\/p>\n 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\u2019 farm, as well as food and medical care.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d like to get him therapy that paralyzed dogs can get, where they stretch their legs. I\u2019d like to look into that just so he\u2019s more comfortable (because) I\u2019m not sure how this affects his spine,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n As a new owner of two baby goats, Doherty said she\u2019s learning as she goes, but is thankful for the support.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope sharing them can encourage others to see God\u2019s hand in the blessings around them and the ways he can bring light into hard seasons,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n This story was originally published by the <\/i>Johnson County Post.<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWheelie Nelson was an unexpected surprise<\/h3>\n
Wheelie has become a local celebrity of sorts<\/h3>\n
The fundraiser will be used for accessibility need<\/h3>\n