As many already know, Mason was bitten by a dog in a freak accident in January of 2025. She was life-flighted to Ascension in Pensacola, underwent reconstructive plastic surgery to reattach both her top and bottom lips, her left cheek, close the bridge of her nose, and her chin.

All of the scars, with the exception of the bridge, are extremely sensitive. Her left cheek and the right side of her chin, where flesh died and fell off, cause her nerve pain regularly due to nerve endings being exposed. Though with time the nerve pain has gotten better, her doctor has made it clear that it will never go away completely unless the scar tissue is resected and the living tissue is all pulled back together so nothing is exposed any longer.

Mason's doctor offered to do the surgery for free on his end. The only issue we're having is paying surgical costs through the hospital. Insurance has refused to pay because the doctor is out of network. They've said it doesn't matter if he's not being paid, as everything surgical will still be billed by him, it also no matter the need, is considered cosmetic… The doctor's office manager sent me an email with a price breakdown of $2400 per scar ($4800 total for Mason), and then $550 for anesthesia. That was just the base price that she could give me, and she did say it would likely be more than that, but any help at all we can get would be greatly appreciated.

Since January, Mason has been through so much and overcome equally as much. She has been in therapy to get help with the mental obstacles and has stayed involved in sports in hopes of keeping her self-confidence high. At the end of the 24-25 school year, all of her classmates, for the most part, were very understanding. There are plenty of people, adults and children alike, who are just curious about her scars, which is understandable and perfectly okay. Some people, though, see it as a weakness, and bullying has become an issue again. This year, it has become more physical, with the most recent event being a boy grabbing Mason by the larger scar on her cheek, which already causes her pain, not only hurting her emotionally but physically as well.