Support Samantha’s Recovery Journey

On the morning of January 25th, our beautiful niece Samantha was the victim of a devastating dog attack. The dog, belonging to a friend’s father, caused catastrophic facial injuries in what the attending police officer described as the worst dog attack he had witnessed in his entire career.

Samantha lost a large part of the right side of her face, including her lip and cheek. She was rushed by emergency services to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow, where she underwent immediate surgery to assess the full extent of her injuries and begin planning her treatment.

Samantha then spent over a month in hospital in Glasgow before she was even allowed to return home to begin her recovery. This was an incredibly difficult and emotional time for the whole family, as we did everything we could to make sure she was never alone.

During this time, she was in constant pain, unable to eat independently, and struggled to speak, something most of us take for granted every single day.

She underwent two operations to assess the damage almost immediately after arriving in hospital, then later an incredibly complex 12-hour operation. This involved a tracheostomy to support her breathing and reconstructive surgery using tissue taken from her arm to rebuild her face, carefully reconnecting nerves and blood vessels. This, in turn, required a skin graft from her leg to repair her arm.

While the surgery was successful, this is only the beginning of Samantha’s journey. She will require multiple further procedures to restore as much function and appearance as possible. Sadly, there will be permanent scarring, and Samantha is now living with a life-changing facial disfigurement through no fault of her own.

Beyond the physical injuries, the emotional and psychological impact has been profound. Samantha is receiving ongoing support from mental health professionals as she copes with trauma, flashbacks, and PTSD following this horrific incident.

Before this happened, Samantha was working part-time at Tesco and had just qualified as a nail technician, excited to begin her career in the beauty industry. That dream has now been put on hold, as she faces both her recovery and the challenge of rebuilding her confidence after such a visible injury.

Samantha was advised to pursue criminal compensation; however, due to the circumstances, the dog being uninsured and the owner having no assets, Samantha is unlikely to receive any financial support through this route.

As a family, we are coming together to raise funds to support Samantha through this incredibly difficult time and to help with any future treatments she will need. The funds will go towards ongoing medical care, reconstructive procedures, and supporting Samantha as she rebuilds her life.

Every single penny truly counts and will make a meaningful difference to Samantha’s recovery, her confidence, and her future.

We will continue to share updates on Samantha’s progress, and when she feels ready and comfortable, we will share images to show how she is doing.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Samantha’s story, and for any support you are able to give. It means more than words can express.