Reese Ruette's Dog Bite Recovery Fund
Donation protected
On Saturday, June 27, 5 year old Reese was viciously attacked by a neighbor's dog, a pitbull fox hound mix.
Reese was rushed to Lake Norman Hospital in Mooresville, NC in an ambulance, but due to the severity of her injuries the staff knew within minutes that she needed to be transferred to CMC Main (Levine's Children's Hospital) in Charlotte, which required yet another ambulance ride. She went straight into triage, but the doctors were concerned about possible infections due to dog enzymes and her wounds being so deep and hard to clean, so she was then transferred, again, to the OR floor where a plastic surgeon performed an emergency surgery.
Reese's surgery was extensive. Her nose was fractured and the tip of her nose was bitten off. She also required numerous stitches to the bridge of her nose, between her eyes, above her left eyebrow, and down to her right cheek. Both her top and bottom lips were bit in half and needed stitches inside and out. She also sustained a large puncture bite to her right calf. Her front tooth was knocked loose.
Once her initial healing is complete, Reese will need a skin graft on her nose and will need dental work on her tooth. While the doctor's feel she will have a 95% recovery, she will likely face permanent scarring on her face and nose, possibly requiring further surgeries as she gets older.
The surgeon, doctors and all the nursing staff at Levine's Children's Hospital were extremely impressed with how brave and tough Reese was through this whole experience. Reese needs to stay out of the sun for about a year to ensure her scars heal properly. While the doctors are confident her physical wounds will heal well, Reese will need counseling to recover from this extreme trauma.
Reese is the sweetest, friendliest girl, always with a smile on her face. Even at 5 years old, Reese's main concern is if she'll ever look or feel like a normal kid again.
Reese and her parents, Karen and Romy, are like family to us and the only the thing worse than hearing the news about Reese's attack was hearing their anxiety about all of the medical bills. Karen will have to stay home to care for Reese and will be unable to work. We're asking you to imagine if this was your child, or a loved one and open your heart and contribute what you can, even if that's only a few dollars. Please also consider sharing this page to help Reese and her family during this trying time. No five year old should have to suffer through what Reese has gone through and she has a long road to recovery ahead of her and needs all the support she can get.
Reese loves animals. Here is Reese with her own dog, Hayden.
Reese was rushed to Lake Norman Hospital in Mooresville, NC in an ambulance, but due to the severity of her injuries the staff knew within minutes that she needed to be transferred to CMC Main (Levine's Children's Hospital) in Charlotte, which required yet another ambulance ride. She went straight into triage, but the doctors were concerned about possible infections due to dog enzymes and her wounds being so deep and hard to clean, so she was then transferred, again, to the OR floor where a plastic surgeon performed an emergency surgery.
Reese's surgery was extensive. Her nose was fractured and the tip of her nose was bitten off. She also required numerous stitches to the bridge of her nose, between her eyes, above her left eyebrow, and down to her right cheek. Both her top and bottom lips were bit in half and needed stitches inside and out. She also sustained a large puncture bite to her right calf. Her front tooth was knocked loose.
Once her initial healing is complete, Reese will need a skin graft on her nose and will need dental work on her tooth. While the doctor's feel she will have a 95% recovery, she will likely face permanent scarring on her face and nose, possibly requiring further surgeries as she gets older.
The surgeon, doctors and all the nursing staff at Levine's Children's Hospital were extremely impressed with how brave and tough Reese was through this whole experience. Reese needs to stay out of the sun for about a year to ensure her scars heal properly. While the doctors are confident her physical wounds will heal well, Reese will need counseling to recover from this extreme trauma.
Reese is the sweetest, friendliest girl, always with a smile on her face. Even at 5 years old, Reese's main concern is if she'll ever look or feel like a normal kid again.
Reese and her parents, Karen and Romy, are like family to us and the only the thing worse than hearing the news about Reese's attack was hearing their anxiety about all of the medical bills. Karen will have to stay home to care for Reese and will be unable to work. We're asking you to imagine if this was your child, or a loved one and open your heart and contribute what you can, even if that's only a few dollars. Please also consider sharing this page to help Reese and her family during this trying time. No five year old should have to suffer through what Reese has gone through and she has a long road to recovery ahead of her and needs all the support she can get.
Reese loves animals. Here is Reese with her own dog, Hayden.
Organizer and beneficiary
Willy Anderson
Organizer
Millbrook, NY
Romy Ruette
Beneficiary