Series of Mishaps Fails to Derail Family’s Dream to Keep Farming

Lou Ann Good
Correspondent

MOUNT JOY, Pa. — “Let’s put it in perspective. We didn’t have to bury a son, just throw an arm away,” Sue Musser told her husband Jim as they grappled with the after effects of a farm accident.

Today, the family laughs about her comment, but it was no laughing matter when, within a 10-day period, their son Cody’s arm was ripped off when his coat sleeve got entangled in an auger, fire destroyed a grain bin on their farm, a driver who ran a stop sign demolished the family’s van and Jim had to have back surgery for a herniated disc.

“I kept thinking, ‘what next?’” Sue said.

“My pastor said I should be renamed Job,” Jim said, referring to the biblical character who lost everything within a few hours.

Two months later, the Mussers cannot stop listing the many good things that happen despite their losses.

Cody, 25, matter-of-factly recalls the events that began on Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. It was the middle of the harvesting season, an exceptionally busy time for M&R Grains, Inc., which processes and roasts corn, soybeans, wheat and other grains for farmers.

“It was about 7 p.m. and I was getting the grain dryer empty. Dustin was running the grain truck in the field and would soon be bringing it in for me to help unload. I started the dryer and heated to the temperature and moisture required, than ran the fan to cool the grain before transfer.”

‘Call 911’
When Cody checked the temperature of the corn, his shirt sleeve became entangled in the auger and it started pulling him in. Within seconds, the running auger tore off his arm. Cody quickly ran to his dad’s office about 100 yards away and yelled, “Call 911,” and ran back to hit the emergency shut-off button.

His father interjected, “When Cody opened up the office door, I looked up and saw him shirtless and his arm missing. I stood up, forgetting that I needed a walker to move since I had a back injury, and fell over.”

Fortunately a neighbor that was there dialed 911. Although he had only one arm, Cody remained calm and assisted his neighbor with helping his dad stand back up.

“I used to listen at Young Farmers’ safety meetings when they told you how to deal with farm injuries. I used to think that will never happen to me, but when it happened, their instructions came rushing back,” Jim said. “I knew I had to keep Cody warm and from going into shock.”

Fortunately, there was little bleeding because of the way the arm was ripped off instead of cut off. Jim threw a coat around his son and bear hugged him to keep him warm and pressed towels against the wound to stop the bleeding. Cody said, “My dad prayed for me and said, ‘God never gives us more than we can handle.’ I felt a sense of calmness.”

Within minutes several neighbors who had heard the 911 call on the scanner came to assist the Mussers. One neighbor remembered that it was important to retrieve the arm and pack it on ice so that it could be reattached. By the time the Lancaster Trauma Unit had arrived, the arm still tucked inside the shirt sleeve was retrieved.

Dustin was allowed to travel in the ambulance with Cody and he recalls how amazingly calm and ordinary Cody acted. “When we were on the way to the hospital, Cody kept apologizing for screwing up my day at the busiest time of the year. He apologized for jamming up the grain drying bin in the middle of harvest season.” (Ironically, when Dustin started the motor later, it ran perfectly, like nothing had ever happened).

‘More Than I Can Do’
The hospital took a CAT scan of Cody’s body to determine if there were additional injuries. There were none.

But the doctor said of the arm reattachment, “This is more than I can do.”
Cody was airlifted to Jefferson University, a teaching hospital in downtown Philadelphia. It was during the World Series, and Cody, despite his horrific injury, retained his usual sense of humor by asking if they could fly over the baseball stadium where the game was in progress.

When the flight arrived at the hospital, Cody was whisked away and taken into surgery within minutes.

In the meantime, his mom, his older brother, Brett, and some other relatives arrived at the hospital. About four hours later, the doctor told them, “I’m sorry, but we cannot reattach his arm.” He explained that the arm was like an electrical socket that needed nerve endings to attach them to the shoulder.

There were not enough nerve endings to attach and to attempt it would probably kill Cody.

The family was distraught, but when Cody awoke, he looked at where his arm had been, said “Oh, shucks,” and went back to sleep.

Cody recalls, “I awakened every couple of hours and I remember seeing the bone and thinking they didn’t reattach my arm.”

In the meantime, Jim was home and with the help of numerous friends and neighbors kept the grain drying business running. Dustin returned to the farm and together they worked until about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. About 5:15 the next morning a neighbor called to say one of the grain bins was on fire.

“The bin roof caved in and the fire and water damaged about 7,000 bushels of corn,” Jim said. But the fire was contained and did not spread to adjacent bins.

Generosity of Others
Local businesses, neighbors and friends brought in tractors, skid loaders and other equipment to clean up the damage from the fire. Two local elevators offered to dry the grain for the Mussers during the time their operation was shut down during the fire and clean-up.

The Mussers get a bit teary-eyed as they remark again and again about the generosity of others who helped in so many different ways. “Food appeared for weeks. Their church friends came and raked all the leaves from our yards (Cody and Dustin live in separate housing on the farm). Cody’s friends chopped wood for his wood-burning stove, dehorned calves and cleaned out box stalls for the 150 heifers he custom feeds for neighboring farmers.

That weekend, Jim’s 82-year-old dad came to the farm and wanted to help. Jim said he could take the van to a local car wash. On the way home, a driver ran a stop sign and demolished the Musser van. “My dad only had a few bruises but we needed to buy another vehicle,” Jim said. That week, Jim had back surgery because doctors said the operation could not be postponed if he wanted to walk again. He is still recuperating.

In the meantime, at the hospital, Cody remained upbeat as he worked hard in the physical therapy sessions. People kept expecting him to hit a low point and become depressed. It’s two months later, and Cody said the anger and depression the medical profession predicted hasn’t been an issue. “Freaking out won’t get you anywhere,” he said.

So far he’s had four surgeries at four different hospitals connected with Jefferson. The initial surgery was the failed attempt to reattach the arm, and using the skin from the arm he lost to cover the wound. Because the skin was not attaching and becoming infected, doctors removed the skin and wrapped it with synthetic skin. The next surgery took muscle from his back to wrap around the bone to help prepare it for the prosthetic. The final surgery took skin from his left thigh to cover the muscle.

His mother said, “The medical staff at every hospital is amazed how calm and positive Cody is. They keep saying, “You don’t know what an inspiration you are to us.”

When healing is completed, possibly in February, Cody will be fitted with a prosthetic. Already, the designers have followed him around the farm to see how the arm must be fashioned to be able to do the jobs he does.

Cody has been cleared to work a few hours a week on the farm. He does some of the office work. “My dad said I can type faster with one hand than he does with two,” Cody said.

The farm and grain operation is computerized and highly diversified. Two of the former chicken houses have been converted into storage and is rented out for business space.

Cody said that after he was graduated from Penn State in 2007 with a degree in ag systems management and a minor in ag business, the family built a new barn to custom feed about 150-200 heifers. Animal care is Cody’s responsibility. He hopes to continue that aspect of the farm business, called Penns Peaceful Meadow Farm.

Dustin maintains the equipment for both the farm and the grain business and is in charge of the field work. Jim fills in where needed except back pains prevent him from climbing and doing a lot of field work.

Cody stayed in his parent’s home for about 10 days as he adjusted to life without an arm but has since moved back into his apartment. His mom continues to change the dressings on his arm.

“Sue’s amazing,” her husband said. “She works full time at a bank for 30 years while working part time at Bon-Ton for 15 years and takes care of all of us.”

“We have a good support network,” Sue said. “We can’t thank the ag community, neighbors, friends, our church and so many people who have helped us. We don’t even know everyone who has helped.”

“We’ve had some losses, but it doesn’t put a damper on our dreams,” Jim said.

“I’m planning to keep farming, that’s for sure,” Cody said.