Welcome to the Bullvine Podcast, where we dig
into the stories that make the dairy industry
more than just a livelihood. It's a way of life.
Today's episode is one of those rare tales that
will leave you in awe of the human spirit. Imagine
being 11 years old and told you need a heart
transplant. or surviving a fire that leaves you
fighting for 662 days in a hospital, or facing
paralysis after a routine farm task goes wrong.
These aren't fictional plots. They're the real
-life battles of three young dairy farm girls,
Lexi Anderson, Reese Burdett, and Sydney Mell.
In this episode, we'll explore how their upbringing
in the relentless, nurturing world of dairy farming
forged a resilience that carried them through
unimaginable crises. You'll hear how auction
barns turned into fundraisers, how a beloved
cow became a lifeline, and how communities from
Wisconsin to Pennsylvania rallied in ways only
farm folks can. Stick with us as we dive into
stories of grit, grace, and the unbreakable bonds
of agriculture. Let's get started. You know,
we often talk about milk prices, feed costs,
the sort of day -to -day business side of dairy
farming. I mean, the practicalities. Exactly.
When you really dig deeper into the heart of
this industry, you find something else, something
profound. It's the strength of the people. That's
so true. It's a strength that often gets overlooked
in the bigger picture discussions. But it really
shines through when folks face personal adversity.
Right. Beyond the balance sheets, like you said.
And we come across these just incredible stories
of courage. personal battles that really show
the resilience in the dairy community. And that's
what we wanted to explore in this deep dive.
We're focusing on three. really remarkable journeys
of young women, all deeply connected to the dairy
world, who faced absolutely life -threatening
challenges. Their experiences, they just offer
such a powerful insight into that resilience
we mentioned, but also the community bonds, the
spirit that defines this industry, really. These
aren't just stories about getting through something
tough. They're about the human spirit, maybe
amplified by growing up on a farm, you know?
And the community support is just, well, it's
central. We're talking about Lexi Anderson, Reese
Burdett, and Sydney Mill. Three young women who
stared down some unimaginable odds. Yeah, Lexi,
a young Jersey enthusiast facing sudden severe
heart failure. Uh -huh. And Reese, enduring the
trauma of a devastating fire. Incredible injuries.
And Sydney, whose life changed instantly after
a farm accident led to paralysis. Each story
is different, but together. They tell us something
important. So our mission today, if you like,
is to understand their journeys, the obstacles,
yes, but also the support systems, the sheer
strength they showed. And maybe explore how that
deep connection to dairy life, to the farms,
to the animals might have played a role in their
resilience and what lessons. What we can all
take away from this. Because these stories, they
really speak to hope, don't they? And the power
of community and that inner strength we all have
somewhere, especially for folks in Derry facing
challenges daily. These will resonate, I think.
Definitely. So maybe let's start with Lexi's
story. It's such a stark reminder of how quickly
life can throw you a curveball health -wise.
Absolutely. So Lexi Anderson, she's from Meadow
Ridge Jersey Farm up in Wisconsin. Just a young
girl, totally passionate about showing jerseys,
involved from a really early age. It sounds like
a typical happy farm kid life centered around
the cows. Pretty much. But then, late 2023, she
starts getting these dizzy spells. during basketball
games of all things, seemed minor at first. It
wasn't minor at all, was it? The diagnosis at
just 11 years old? Restrictive cardiomyopathy,
RCM, that's a really tough one. Yeah, it's rare.
Aggressive heart failure, the heart muscle gets
stiff, can't feel properly. And the prognosis
often isn't good without major intervention like
a transplant. Just devastating news for her and
her family. Imagine hearing that 11 years old.
It's hard to fathom. But what happened next?
That really shows you the community she's part
of. The word got out about Lexi's diagnosis.
And the response was immediate, wasn't it? The
Love for Lexi campaign kicked off, a website
for updates, coordinating support. It wasn't
just thoughts and prayers, though. That was there,
too. It was action, tangible action, like that
event at the Barron County Fier in July 2024.
Oh, that story is incredible. Tell us about that.
Well, Lexi's market lambs. didn't quite make
the auction cut, which is always a bummer for
a kid showing, right? Sure is. But then Holly
Hargrave, another young show person, only 13,
she steps up. She decides to donate her prize
lamb, one that could have been Grand Champion,
to be auctioned off purely for Lexi's Medical
Fund. Wow, a 13 -year -old doing that. That's
something else. And then the auction itself,
the lamb gets bought, and then the buyer immediately
donates it back to be sold again. No way. Yes,
and it happens again. And again, four times in
total, this one lamb is bought and resold, each
time adding to Lexi's fund. So how much did they
raise in the end from that one lamb? An incredible
$27 ,000. $27 ,000 from one lamb through sheer
generosity. That's community right there. It's
more than the money though, isn't it? It's the
empathy, peer to peer. Young people looking out
for each other. The whole community investing
in her fight. Absolutely. It speaks volumes about
the values, that sense of shared responsibility
you see in agricultural communities. Just stepping
up. So after that amazing show of support, Lexi
and her family still faced that agonizing wait
for a heart. You know, waiting for the call.
The uncertainty must have been immense. But the
call did come, right? In January 2025. Yes, finally.
A potential heart. Such a beacon of hope. The
transplant surgery happened at Children's Hospital
of Milwaukee. And her progress afterwards, from
what the sources say, was pretty remarkable.
Quick, even. Yeah, just days later, the breathing
tube was out. She was sitting up, even taking
a few steps. It's amazing, really. Testament
to her strength, the medical team. Incredible.
But a transplant, it's not the end of the story,
is it? It's the start of a new chapter, a different
kind of challenge. Exactly. It's a new normal.
Lifelong anti -rejection meds, which means a
suppressed immune system needing constant monitoring.
It requires real discipline. And that's where,
you know, her farm background might actually
be an advantage. How so? Well, think about farm
life. The routine, the structure, the need for
consistent care, attention to detail with animals.
It's ingrained from a young age. Ah, I see what
you mean. That discipline, that sense of responsibility.
Exactly. It could be a real asset for managing
her new health regimen. That structured approach
might just be second nature to her. That's a
really interesting point, the very lifestyle,
giving her the tools she needs. Okay, let's shift
now to Reese Burdett. Her story is just an incredible
testament to the will to survive and family support.
Reese's family, Windy Knoll View Farm in Pennsylvania.
They're well known in the Holstein world, right?
A strong reputation, respected breeders. Definitely.
So Reese grew up immersed in that world, showing
cattle, part of that legacy. Everything seemed,
you know, set. And then Memorial Day weekend,
2014, that devastating fire at her grandparents'
home. Started so suddenly, they think an electrical
cord. Yeah. And her grandmother, Patricia Stiles,
acted heroically, pulling Reese from the flames.
Just... unimaginable terror. And her grandmother's
bravery came at a huge cost to herself, too,
didn't it? Both were severely injured. Terribly
injured. Reese said burns over about 35 % of
her body, plus serious heart and lung damage
from the smoke. And they ended up in different
hospitals in different cities. Reese said Johns
Hopkins in Baltimore, her grandmother at MedStar
in D .C. The strain on her parents must have
been... Unbearable. Traveling between two critical
care units. It's hard to even comprehend. And
Reese's time in the PICU at Johns Hopkins. It
was unbelievably long. 662 days. 662 days. The
details are just staggering. Medically induced
coma. Multiple cardiac arrests, collapsed lungs,
internal bleeding. Yeah. She needed over 500
blood transfusions. Plus the most advanced life
support. ECMO, the heart -lung bypass machine.
ventricular assist devices to help her heart
pump it's a miracle she survived that period
and through all that she suffered complications
leading to the amputation of her leg and permanent
hearing loss too it's just so much it really
is almost too much for anyone let alone a child
to endure but the sources they consistently mention
her fierce determination and her parents were
there constantly by her side through it all that
family support that unwavering presence You see
how vital that is. It's a lifeline. Absolutely.
And then there's an incredible story about her
Holstein heifer, Pantene. Yes, Pantene. That's
such a powerful part of her recovery narrative.
They actually brought the heifer to the hospital
for a visit right when Reese was facing the huge
challenge of just learning to stand again. And
that connection, seeing her heifer, it became
this huge motivator for her physical therapy,
didn't it? Her mom said it was the only thing
that could really get Reese to push through the
pain and effort of rehab at times. It reconnected
her to her life, her world, outside the hospital
walls. It's that human -animal bond in action.
It also helped the hospital staff understand
Reese better, understand what she was fighting
to get back to. Pantene became the symbol of
hope, didn't she? Reese followed her progress,
watched her shows on FaceTime from her bed. Waiting
for the day they'd be back on the farm together.
And that day finally came. March. 2016. After
662 days, her homecoming sounds amazing, the
whole town turning out, fire department escort.
And that reunion with Pantene must have been
incredibly emotional. But like Lexi, coming home
wasn't the end of the medical journey. In 2017,
she faced kidney failure. Likely a long -term
effect of all the treatments, the trauma her
body went through, and finding a donor was tough
because of antibodies from all those transfusions.
Another huge hurdle. But then, another moment
of incredible generosity. Alyssa Hussey, moved
by Reese's story, stepped forward to donate a
kidney. Just amazing. That gift gave Reese another
chance, and her recovery kept progressing. Milestones
like getting her track tube removed, surgery
to improve the fit of her prosthetic leg. She
calls it Lego, right? Her prosthetic. That's
right. Each step was a victory. And then, returning
to the show ring. That's the truly inspiring
part. Starting in a wheelchair. then walking
on her prosthetic, and in 2022, placing fifth
in showmanship at the All -American Dairy Show.
An event that held so many memories for her.
What an achievement. It just speaks volumes about
her perseverance, her spirit. She refused to
be defined by her injuries. And she's still involved
in FFA 4 -H, wants to give back, inspire others,
plans for college, staying connected to agriculture.
Her roots are strong. A truly remarkable young
woman. Her journey is incredible. Now let's talk
about Sidney Mell. Her story really highlights
the inherent risks on farms and the kind of resilience
needed when things go wrong. Sidney grew up on
her family's dairy farm in Wisconsin, 200 cows.
Sounds like a pretty standard farm upbringing,
hard work, responsibility, connection to the
animals, the land. Yeah, and even while studying
dairy science at UW -Madison, she was still very
involved back home on the farm. Until that Easter
break in April 2022, working on a silage bunker
with your brother Sam, a routine task. And then
a slip, a fall, just like that, a complete spinal
cord injury, paralysis from the waist down. Instantaneous,
life -altering, a stark reminder of how quickly
things can change on a farm, and her brother
witnessed it. adding another layer of trauma
for the family. Initially, understandably, her
focus was on walking again, intense rehab. But
she realized the injury was permanent. And her
response then was incredibly mature, wasn't it?
She pivoted, shifted focus to adapting to life
in a wheelchair, while still hoping for future
medical breakthroughs, you know. That shift in
mindset is so impressive. Instead of despair,
she focused on regaining independence, getting
back to her studies. Returning to UW -Madison,
navigating campus in a wheelchair, that takes
immense courage and determination, a real force
of will. And she turned her experience into advocacy,
too. She started fundraising for AgrAbility of
Wisconsin, an organization that helped her, raised
over $3 ,000. Paying it forward. Using her own
struggle to help others facing similar challenges
in agriculture, that's remarkable. She's also
become a voice for farm safety, hasn't she? Reflecting
on how familiarity can sometimes breed complacency,
even with risky tasks. Right. It's a crucial
message. And she noted how the accent profoundly
changed her brother's perspective on farm risks,
too. It impacts the whole family. But despite
everything, her commitment to dairy farming is
unwavering. She plans to go back to the family
farm after graduation. Wants to be involved in
operations, help implement robotic milking, maintain
their elite Holstein herd, keep showing cattle.
Her passion is clearly undimmed. She talks about
finding normalcy, solace, just working with the
animals. They respond to her the same way, wheelchair
or not. That connection, that sense of purpose
farm life provides. It seems to be a powerful
anchor for her, even with the daily challenges.
Her positive attitude is just incredible. So
looking at these three journeys, Lexi, Reese,
Sydney, what common threads really jump out?
What themes connect their experiences? Well,
the first thing is just that unique resilience
you often see in farm kids. There's a work ethic,
a sense of responsibility, a practical outlet
that seems ingrained. And that deep connection
to the farm, the animals, the family legacy.
It seems to be a real source of strength, doesn't
it? Something bigger than themselves to hold
on to. Absolutely. And then there's the power
of the agricultural community. We saw it so clearly
in each story. Yeah. The lamb auction for Lexi.
Neighbors pitching in with farm work for Reese's
family while they were focused on the hospital.
The peer support, Sidney found among other ag
students. It's this incredible web of mutual
aid. People understand the demands, the unpredictability,
and they just show up for each other in very
real, tangible ways. It's also clear they found
different paths through their adversity, right?
It wasn't one size fits all. Exactly. Lexi drew
strength from her passion, you know, getting
back to showing. Reese focused on concrete goals,
like walking again, showing Pantene. Sydney found
strength in adaptation, in advocacy. Resilience
looks different for everyone. And the animals.
We can't overlook their role. Definitely not.
Pantene was literally therapy for Reese. Showing
gave Lexi continuity, purpose. Working with calves
gives Sydney that normalcy, that solace. It highlights
that powerful human -animal bond. So distilling
this down, what are the big lessons here for
the dairy industry, for all of us involved? Well,
number one has to be farm safety. Sydney's story
is such a potent reminder. Constant vigilance,
ongoing education. It's critical. Absolutely.
And second, celebrating and preserving that incredible
strength of our communities. That mutual support
system is invaluable. We need to nurture it.
Third, recognizing the healing power of that
human -animal connection. It's real, and maybe
we can leverage it even more consciously in supporting
people. And fourth, I'd say, acknowledging the
resilience that farm life cultivates, especially
in the next generation. We need to support and
encourage that spirit. And finally, the life
-saving impact of organ donation. Lexi and Reese
are living proof. It's so important to consider
becoming a donor. Good points. And it's good
to know as of this spring, April 2025, all three
are moving forward. Lexi's continuing her recovery.
Reese is thriving, inspiring so many. And Sydney's
getting ready to graduate and head back to the
farm, ready to make her mark. Their stories are
still unfolding. They really are. These young
women. Lexi, Reese, Sydney, they truly embody
the best of the dairy community, their strength,
their determination. It's incredibly inspiring.
They really are the hearts of the heartland,
as the sources called them. A powerful reminder
that beyond the challenges, the people are the
industry's greatest asset. Their experiences
show that extraordinary capacity for resilience,
for compassion, for support that exists within
this community. It really makes you reflect,
doesn't it, on their strength, but also on the
strength within our own communities, maybe even
within ourselves. It does. And it raises a question,
maybe a challenge for all of us listening. How
can we, as a dairy community, get even better
at supporting individuals and families facing
these kinds of... unexpected, overwhelming challenges.
Yeah, and how do we actively cultivate that amazing
resilience we see in Lexi, Reese, and Sydney
in the next generation coming up in Derry? Something
important to think about. Their stories are just
powerful testaments to the spirit of this community,
bound by hard work, love for the land and animals,
and looking out for one another. Well said. Thanks
for joining us for this. Very moving deep dive
today. And a huge thank you to everyone listening
and to all the dedicated folks who make the dairy
industry what it is. Lexi, Reese, and Sydney
remind us that adversity doesn't discriminate,
but neither does hope. Their journeys teach us
that resilience isn't just inherited. It's cultivated
through early mornings, dirty boots, and the
knowledge that no one fights alone in dairy country.
If these stories moved you, Share this episode
with someone who needs a dose of inspiration.
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and join the conversation. Until next time, remember,
in the dairy world, every sunrise brings a new
chance to milk life for all its worth. Keep your
boots muddy and your heart strong.