Some pig

“Hayden” is a potbelly pig that is nothing short of a miracle. Potbelly pigs are far from rare. In fact, many people across the country and around the world have potbelly pigs as well-loved pets. They are affectionate, have loads of personality, and can even be house trained for those owners who do not have a large yard or outdoor space for them to roam. Though often seen as a “micro pet,” they can grow to the size of a large dog and can weigh from 70 to 150 pounds and reach about three feet in length when they reach maturity at two to three years of age.

But while his breed may not be rare, Hayden definitely is. He is what could be considered the rarest of exceptions based upon what the now four-month-old pig has overcome.

“He is the only known living pig with a liver in his chest,” owner Deborah Pack said of Hayden, something that makes him a not just a unique veterinary case, but a bit of a miracle.

“Generally, pigs born that way die at birth or shortly thereafter,” she explained. “And that’s why you don’t hear about them.”

“Hayden was very small when he was born,” she continued. “He almost didn’t make it then, but somehow or another he survived.”

It was this determination to live that impressed her when she first brought the struggling young fighter home.

“When I got him at four weeks old, he had a scrotal hernia that was massive,” she said. “So, I took him to Cincinnati to get that removed and thought everything was going to be fine.”

Pack said she believed the tiny pig’s health troubles were over at that point, but unfortunately that did not prove to be the case. Hayden was still having difficulty breathing, so Pack took him to the veterinarian again. She was told that there was something in Hayden’s chest, but at that time they were not certain what that might be. Pack then took him to North Carolina, where veterinarians there ran multiple tests in an effort to determine what was causing Hayden’s issues.

“We found out there that he (Hayden) has a liver in his chest. It’s called a diaphragmic hernia, and it left a hole in his diaphragm. Somehow, they (the veterinarians) went in and sealed up that hole. He’s living and breathing and doing his thing,” Pack said of Hayden post-surgery.

She said she is amazed by him beating the odds the way he did, and said if you google his condition, he is the only known pig in the United States to have survived being born this way.

“And wouldn’t you know, he is living in Olive Hill, Kentucky,” Pack said.

Pack said Hayden reminds her of another pig, Wilbur from the popular book Charlotte’s Web, who overcame huge obstacles early in life.

“He’s very similar to Wilbur if you look at them closely,” Pack said. “Hayden was born a runt just like Wilbur. And he survived, only to go through another challenge. And now he is also trying to make his place in the world.”

The difference, of course, is that in Hayden’s life there was no kindly and helpful arachnid encouraging everyone to see the value of the runt of the litter. What he did have, however, was Pack herself who took in a sickly pig no one wanted and that most would assume had no chance of survival. It was doctor visits and encouragement instead of words written in silky webs at the eaves of a barn which saw Hayden through his initial hurdles. And it will be the same consistent compassion that helps him through whatever hurdles the future may hold.

“We were told by so many people that he was not going to live very long. But we are not going to give up on him, because he is not giving up. We have to change people’s attitudes,” she said of her miracle pig. “And if we can do that maybe people will start finding their own miracles.”

Pack said that Hayden will be recognized at the city council meeting of his hometown of Olive Hill at their regularly scheduled meeting in August.

Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com