The calf, born without the ability to suckle, and with a near-fatal infection, has become an international inspiration.
When Emily and Adam Hopson created a farm in 2014 in Western North Carolina, they knew they would face challenges along the way, but nothing so far has compared to the heartache of caring for a special needs calf and the joy of witnessing his miraculous recovery.
Baby James came into the world in May 2017 and didn’t have the sucking ability required for nursing. The Hopsons believe he may have been brain damaged at birth from oxygen deprivation. The tiny calf immediately tugged at their hearts and they brought him inside their home for almost a month as they fed him through a tube and loved on him. They even made little booties for him to wear so he wouldn’t slip and slide on their hardwood floors. Their dogs adopted Baby James and took over some of the mothering duties by cleaning him and accepting him.
Baby James learned to take milk from a bottle and was growing stronger, but the Hopsons were unaware of a larger problem. When they took him to a vet for castration, he discovered his naval hadn’t closed off and was severely infected.
“He had never seen an infection that severe in a living animal,” says Emily of the vet.
The vet carefully explained how euthanization might be the best option, but the Hopsons weren’t ready to give up on the tiny calf. They asked if the vet could keep Baby James out of pain and allow time for healing after the intensive surgery. The vet said he could do that.
“He died for a few minutes on the operating table,” says Emily. “It was the anesthesia that stopped his heart.”
They were able to revive the calf and finish the surgery with mild sedation. “My husband had to help hold him during the surgery. It was a three-hour procedure,” she says.
The Hopsons detailed the effort to save Baby James on their blog at happyhensandhighlands.com. And word began to spread about this tiny calf with a strong resolve to live, along with the love of his caretakers.
“I was contacted by a company that writes stories and sells to magazines and newspapers,” explained Emily. “The story went world-wide and appeared in USA Today, Daily Mail, Telegraph Guardian and others. People got attached to him through our photos and videos. Many say they watch our page every day.” …
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