A calf born with its heart in its neck is thriving on a western Pennsylvania farm despite the unusual deformity.
Tom Leech, the Amwell Township farmer who owns 6-week-old "Cardio Brisket" tells the (Washington) Observer-Reporter that he found just two instances of similar disorders during an Internet search.
A West Virginia veterinarian examined the calf and says he's never seen anything like it. Dr. Todd Moores believes the calf was born with a defect that kept the calf's sternum — or breast bone — from developing properly. The opening enables the heart to "flop" out into the neck.
Leech and his wife, Debbie, plan to keep the calf as long as possible, but won't display the animal at fairs like a "circus attraction." Rather, they hope to learn more about the calf's condition for future reference.
