The morning of the Lometa Youth Livestock Show, a near tragedy was diverted by three heroes: my mom, Phyllis O’Keefe, and my daughters, Shannon and Shelby O’Keefe.

I had just arrived home from Amarillo and was trying to rush the girls so we could get on the road before check-in at 9 a.m.

I sent Shelby to get her heifer. I was in the trailer wiring a panel to separate the pigs and heifers. Shannon was getting wire for me to fix the panels in the trailer.

My mom pulled up in her truck and started honking the horn. I did not pay any attention because my mother is always honking the horn to call the cows. Then she started yelling “Shelby,” but what really got my attention was when I heard Shannon scream “Shelby,” because Shannon doesn’t scream.

I was trying to get out of the trailer that I had just wired myself into. Then I heard Shannon scream, “Shelby’s dead!”

I ran to the stock pens. Shannon had removed the rope from around her sister’s neck. Shelby had gone to get her heifer and apparently left the rope draped around her shoulder. When her heifer ran, the rope came over her shoulder and went around her neck where she was dragged in the pens. Shannon was crying, and I was preparing to start CPR when Shelby said, “That sure did hurt.”

Shelby was covered in mud, with it up her nose, in her mouth and ears. Shannon was unable to quit crying for her sister.

We went to Rollins Brook Community Hospital to have Shelby’s neck checked for a possible dislocation (it was negative). Shannon couldn’t quit crying, and I did not know what to say, so I called Reid Schaub, who came to the emergency room for a prayer and support.

That’s when Shelby started singing to Shannon, “Cowgirls don’t cry.” Everyone at the hospital was fantastic. We all headed home to spend the rest of the day holding each other.

My mother got a remedy from the pharmacy and treated Shelby’s rope burns on her neck (not a scar was left). I contacted Mitch Ramon and Dr. Forsythe to let them know why we were not at the stock show.

I lost sight of what stock show is all about trying to rush the girls so we wouldn’t be late. The stock show is about family and spending quality time together.

My heroes are my mother who is always there, Shannon who acts more like Shelby’s mother than a sister, and Shelby who can always make you smile no matter how bad you think things are and always wants a hug. That’s why God smiled.
Shaun O’Keefe

P.S. Shelby showed her heifer in the Lampasas County Livestock Show.