Pig auctioned for $20,000+ to help 2-year-old battling leukemia

Livestock are auctioned every year at county fairs throughout Idaho, but this year’s 4-H auction in Teton County was pretty special.

A single pig was sold 34 times to help a local family who’s 2-year-old daughter suffers from leukemia. University of Idaho Extension agent Ben Eborn said it wasn’t long before more than $20,000 was raised.

“The buyer says ‘I don’t want it, turn it back and sell it again,’ and that just happens time after time,” said Eborn. “It must have taken 10 or 12 minutes to sell it that many times.”

Edie Barnes has been receiving treatment in Salt Lake City since February with her mother, Cara, by her side. Rod, Edie’s father, takes care of the family’s three other children at home in Driggs. His extended family was able to enjoy the moment at the Teton County Fairgrounds almost two weeks ago.

“It was an experience I’ll never forget,” said Rod.

Even Edie was able to escape the hospital for a while, and make it to the auction.

“It’s pretty aggressive treatment, so they can’t really leave Salt Lake,” said Rod. “For her to come home for the fair was awesome.”

As you could imagine, most people were so lost in the moment they don’t even know who has the pig.

“It got turned over so many times, I lost track of where it ended up,” said Eborn.

However, everyone knows who the community rallied around.

“The community has really come together for us, and I don’t even know the words to say, you know? Thank you, thank you, thank you,” said Rod.

In fact, this isn’t the first time folks in Driggs have done this. The 15-year-old son of the last woman to be helped this way donated his turkey to be auctioned for the Barnes family. That turkey sold for $1,200.

“Without a strong community like that to get behind people when they’re struggling, things like that don’t happen,” said Eborn.