Lamb for Sale: Going once, twice, three times!

by Sally Jack
Staff writer
Things took an interesting twist at the San Juan County Fair Jr. Livestock Auction on Saturday August 10 when Alise Lewis from Monticello – on her own initiative – decided to donate the sale of her lamb to Ryan Imlay of Blanding, rather than put the money into her college fund.
After she had worked so hard all summer to raise the lamb, her parents were baffled. When her father asked, “Why do you want to give your lamb away?” she said, “Because I want to help someone who needs it. It’s important to me.”
So right before her lamb was shown at auction, Alise asked the auctioneer to read a statement she had written.
She thanked the Jr. Livestock program for the all the things she had learned from participating in the program since she was five years old, and then she said, “I usually save the money I earn from the sale of my lamb for college. This year was I would like to do something different. I would like to donate the money I raise from the sale of my lamb to Ryan Imlay and Bodell Nielson.
“Ryan was involved in a swimming accident this summer and I am hoping the money I donate will help him on his long road to recovery. Many days of work and even their original wedding day have been missed and I am hoping to help lighten their burden with a donation.”
On July 20, the Nielson family was gathered in Springville at a family reunion. Family members were having fun playing at a man-made reservoir and beach. Spirits were high as they took turns to see who could jump the farthest out into the waves.
Most of the little ‘jump-dives’ were belly flops. Then Ryan took his turn. Suddenly the chatter and playful banter stopped. Where was Ryan? He hadn’t resurfaced. Finally they could see a part of Ryan’s back floating just below the surface.
Josh Nielson hurried out to him and gently rolled him over in the water so that he was face up. Ryan had struck the sandy bottom of the lake with his head. “I can’t feel my arms or my legs,” Ryan said.
Fortunately for Ryan, and thanks to small miracles, things moved along quickly. 911 was quick to respond; an ambulance ‘just happened’ to be four blocks away; a neurosurgeon ‘just happened’ to be at the Utah Valley Hospital when the ambulance arrived, and he ‘just happened’ to have one open spot for surgery.
Ryan Imlay and his sweetheart, Bodell Nielson, were engaged to be married on August 3, exactly two weeks from that day on the beach. Now, Ryan was paralyzed, unable to move.
It was an anxious and unnerving weekend for Ryan’s loved ones as they waited... and worried... and prayed... and yes, cried. The C-6 vertebra in in his spine was completely shattered and the C-5 vertebra was seriously cracked.
Following surgery the neurosurgeon’s prognosis was grim: It was possible that Ryan would be a partial quadriplegic for the rest of his life.
One week after the cancelled wedding date, the auction for a special lamb opened at a lively pace, with people from both Blanding and Monticello bidding against each other in a friendly rivalry to win Alise’s lamb, driving the price higher and ever higher. For once, the auctioneer couldn’t talk fast enough to keep up with the bids!
The current market price for lambs is $2.25 per pound. The average price of lambs selling at the Jr. Livestock Auction in Monticello this year was around $6 per pound per lamb. Alise’s 144 pound lamb sold for a stupendous $54 a pound to Travis Shumway.
After Travis bought the lamb, instead of taking it home, he turned it back to the auctioneer.
Again the lamb went up for auction. Again the bidding was generous and brisk as each bidder vied to offer the top dollar donation.
Trent Shumway won the second bidding war at $44 per pound. But people were still not through donating, so with a big grin Trent said, “Sell It Again!”
Again the crowd went wild. The third round for the lamb was every bit as energetic as the first round, with the closing bid going to Justin and Stephanie Ivins, stopping at $32 per pound.
By now, folks were laughing and crying at the same time, but mostly crying, while shaking their heads in wonder at the goodness and generosity of people in this community.
The thrice-sold lamb, which typically would have brought in anywhere from $350 for market price, to $800 at San Juan County prices, sold for an unheard of combined total of $132 per pound for a total donation of $19,008.
Alise’s father, Kurt Lewis, said, “It was fun to watch that miracle take place, to see the goodness of people. It says so much about where we live and who we live with in this community. It’s a powerful place to live.”
Andrea Nielson, mother of bride-to-be Bodell, said, “Whole communities were praying and even fasting for our kids. We were so blown away by the support of the people in this community. And those prayers were answered in the way we hoped. We saw miracles in Ryan’s recovery every day.”
Five weeks after the accident, another miracle took place. Ryan walked out of the hospital doors on his own two feet without any help. Although the gait was not beautiful, his steps were the most beautiful steps his family has ever seen.
Readers will be happy to know that Ryan and Bodell were finally married in a quiet, at-home ceremony in Blanding so that Bodell can better help him on his road to recovery.
The couple will be married in the Cedar City Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints when Ryan finishs rehab and is released from medical care. Although it will be six months to a year before they will know what their altered future looks like, the new bride Bodell reassures everyone, “It will be okay. We’re going to be okay.”