There’s nothing like the love of an animal to get you through hard times. Miriam King, 16, learned this lesson over and over in the past year as her family battled not one, but two wars in the midst of a global pandemic.
For this teenager from Blairsville, Ga., showing pigs has been a part of her life for the past few years. When she began attending Union County High School, after being homeschooled, she found her way into the agriculture classroom and FFA program where she uncovered a passion for showing pigs.
“I may not be the best pig showman who ever existed,” King says “but I love the drive that it gives, the friendships I have made, the things I have learned and the leadership skills I now possess.”
Showing pigs teaches so many lessons, King says. Photo provided by King family.
Needless to say, she was excited to start out the 2020 show season after purchasing a promising pig prospect from Curtis Show Pigs in Thompson, Mo.
“I decided to keep him at my house in our pig trailer until our local agriscience center was ready to house the show pigs,” she recalls. “Later that night we smelled smoke coming from outside – the sides of the trailer were bursting with flames. We think the heat lamp somehow busted, and the fire quickly spread to the shavings.”
The fire took hours to stop. She says her heart sunk with the pain her pig endured. She admits it was one of the hardest things she had encountered up to that point in her life.
A few weeks after the incident, she decided she wasn’t going to let this one thing hold her back from doing what she loves – showing pigs. She contacted Curtis Show Pigs to let them know what happened.
“We sent a new pig down to her and hoped it would heal some of the pain from such a devastating loss,” says Emily Curtis, owner of Curtis Show Pigs.
The Biggest Battle of All
The tables took another turn on the day she brought her new pig, ‘Jimmy Dean,’ home. Her father was diagnosed with acute leukemia.
“After not seeing my dad for a month and Facetime being our only communication, I was convinced God did not want me to show this year,” King says. “After much prayer, I came to the realization that we are only in the state of mind that we choose to be in.”
After a month, her father was able to come home, but every month since October 2020, they have traveled to Atlanta, about two hours away, for her father’s treatments. During their trips, they camped outside of her grandparents’ home in Atlanta.
“I wasn’t about to let cancer, COVID-19 and a new life stop me from doing what I love. So, we took the RV, the car and Jimmy Dean with us through it all,” King says.
Pulling the trailer behind the RV to King’s dad’s cancer treatments. Photo provided by King family.
When Curtis checked back in with King and learned of her father’s cancer and dedication to Jimmy Dean, she was in awe of the strength of this young woman.
“I couldn’t believe the passion and dedication this young woman had for her animal,” Curtis says. “Showing livestock takes daily dedication. Loving your family takes that to a whole new level. Fires suck. Cancer sucks worse.”
King admits 2020 was not an easy year to get through, but with daily dedication, God and a good mindset, her close-knit family overcame some pretty dark days.
“In the middle of 2020, I started my own business. I sell art, mainly animals from livestock shows and commissions,” she says. “I take a percentage of all of my proceeds and they go to support cancer research, my other proceeds go to support my livestock projects.”
This past year has opened King’s eyes to a whole new path for her life. “I’d feel like a fool for not helping others overcome the battles that I once faced,” she explains.
Two weeks ago, her father’s doctor shared the amazing news that his cancer is in 100% remission and is now on a path to recovery. That same day, ironically, Jimmy Dean went to slaughter.
“I think this whole experience has impacted my family to be stronger and always look for the positive side in every situation,” she says.
And there’s no question that her connection to a pig helped pave the way and heal some of the pain from a year marked not only by loss, but by new opportunity.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Fire Devastates Show Barn and State Fair Pig Prospects
San Antonio Barrow Show Winner Captures Hearts and Breaks Records
When the Unexpected Knocks: How Cancer Gave Audrey Angus Perspective
