A 16-month-old Virginia girl is healing after her pet dog attacked her, leaving her with severe face injuries and requiring a third surgery, according to her family.
On Monday, September 22, Alette McGuire was on her way home from work when her fiancé called with horrifying news: their dog Miguel had bitten their daughter, Carmen, she told 13NewsNow.
“I don’t even want to imagine what images he has of the situation,” McGuire told the newspaper.
Her fiancé stated that he believes Carmen approached the dog and scared it, and that he did everything he could to protect Carmen until help arrived.
McGuire raced to meet him and Carmen at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) in Norfolk, where the toddler “underwent emergency plastic surgery to repair deep wounds to her face,” according to family member Alfred McGuire on a GoFundMe page set up for Carmen.
“Carmen is out of surgery and already at home, resting in her own bed tonight,” Alfred wrote on Friday, October 17. “The surgeon didn’t have to do any skin grafts because her wound is healing so beautifully — such a blessing!”
Carmen’s insurance did not cover the first two treatments, McGuire told 13NewsNow, and she still needs a third surgery, which will be pricey.
“Thanks to the quick actions of the CHKD medical staff and surgeons, Carmen is on the road to recovery — but the emotional and financial toll is heavy,” Alfred said on the fundraiser’s page.
“The medical bills for her emergency care, surgery, and ongoing treatment have already begun to pile up, and she will need continued follow-up visits and specialized care to help her heal both physically and emotionally.”
“Carmen is such a light in our lives — always smiling, dancing, and bringing joy to everyone around her,” according to the fundraiser. “She has shown incredible bravery through all of this, but she still has a long road ahead.”
“We’re asking for your assistance in alleviating her family’s financial burden so that they can focus on what really matters: helping her heal and smile again. Every donation, no matter how small, has an impact. Your encouragement, prayers, and kindness mean everything to us.
So far, the GoFundMe campaign created to aid Carmen with her medical bills has garnered more than $29,000, for which McGuire and her family are quite grateful. Unfortunately, Chesapeake Animal Control determined that Miguel had to be terminated due to the seriousness of the attack, McGuire told the station.
Now that Carmen is home, she wonders where Miguel is. McGuire stated.
“In the past, he’d be in his kennel, and she would walk to where his kennel was and go ‘doggy,’ so the first few times she had done that since the incident, we had just broken down, because she just looked so confused, like, wait, hold on, he’s not here,” recalled McGuire.
