Many of us don’t think about it, but while we are sitting down to eat on Thanksgiving, somewhere far away (or maybe not so far away) a farmer has been working hard to provide us with that food.
Before winter hits, farmers work around-the-clock to harvest their fields with crops of wheat, corn, sugar beets, and more. The harvest stops for nothing, because without it, we don’t eat. If the crops are left in the ground too long, they will be ruined, a farmer will lose income, and we all will lose food. Over the past few months, I’ve watched my own husband stumble in at 2 and 3 AM, exhausted from helping at his family’s farm. I couldn’t be more proud of his efforts — and the efforts of all farmers — for the work they do to provide for us all.
The harvest time is supposed to be a time of celebration, when the hard work is done and the farmers can wipe their brows after working around the clock to get their crops safely from the fields.
But in one small town in Indiana, the harvest this year is a time of mourning.
On November 5, while her grandfather Steve Wollyung was getting ready to finish the last of his 112 acres on his farm in Connersville, Indiana, four-year-old Ayla Wollyung was playing in a grain wagon. Tragically, she became trapped in the wagon and could not get out. She was airlifted to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and later passed away from her injuries.
Playing in grain wagons is a common occurrence for children on a farm and no one could have predicted that such a loss would hit their family.
According to her obituary, Ayla Lou, a little sister to two big brothers and daughter of Cory and Sarah, was a fearless four-year-old who loved coloring, American Girl dolls, making messes, getting dirty outside, picking flowers, and “dressing up like the princess she was.”
At her Celebration of Life service, Ayla’s family asked attendees to dress in bright colors to honor Ayla’s love of glitz and glamour, an outward sign of the bright light that she was to everyone.
Grieving for their granddaughter, Steve’s wife Carmen was surprised when she received a phone call from family friend Tara Henry, who wondered if the Wollyungs had been able to finish their harvesting in the midst of everything. Carmen told Henry that they still had over 100 acres to harvest but that “they weren’t sure how they were going to get it all done.”
The Wollyung family just simply wasn’t able to get the work done in the midst of their heartbreak. But thankfully, as is the way of the farming community, their neighbors were there to lend a helping hand. Or in this case, many helping hands. And some semi trucks. And a lot of tractors.
Henry made some calls, word quickly spread about a family in need, and all in all, over 60 farmers from several counties gathered together on November 12 to help harvest the Wollyhung’s field. Around 10 AM, the farmers gathered together, bowed their heads in prayer — and got to work.
More friends, family, neighbors, and even strangers donated sandwiches, soups, drinks, and snacks to help the farmers get their work done. And with many hands making light work, they were able to harvest 18,463 bushels by 5 PM that day, a task that would have taken Wollyhung over a week to finish on his own.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw everyone show up to help,” the shocked farmer and grandfather told Fox8. “All of the support and the number of people wanting to help is just overwhelming. It was emotional to see everyone. Whatever we needed, they brought.”
Those who helped said that they were glad to be able to give back something to Wollyhung, a man known for his own hardworking spirit, kindness, and generosity in the community.
“He’s a very honest, stand up guy, and just a good community member,” said Nathan Williamson, one of the farmers who helped haul grain in his own semi truck. “I was talking with some other people at the farm and we all seem to agree that the worst things happen to the best people.”
Family and friends are reeling from the loss and doing everything they can to help support those in Alya’s life. One family friend had a co-worker create T-shirts and other memorabilia with the words “Fly High, Ayla” written on them — words that have come to describe the little girl’s life.
As the Wollyhung family joins together in their grief, they are also joining together in gratitude for a community that has stood behind them in their time of need. They hope to honor Alya’s memory and also raise some awareness to help keep other young children safe on the family farms that make life possible for so many of us.
“When I’m strong enough I’ll [tell] Ayla’s story of how she knew she was going to heaven, but I’m much too weak right now for that,” Ayla’s mother Sarah told Babble. “I miss her so much.”
A GoFundme has been set up to help Ayla’s family with funeral expenses, if you would like to donate in her memory.