Girl, 7, prepares for 57th operation after her face was torn apart by a pit bull
Brave girl, 7, prepares for 57th operation after her face was torn apart by a pit bull
- Amaya Hess 'super-excited' about prospect of regaining sight in eye
- Mother no longer angry about dog attack five years ago
- Says daughter puts a smile on her face every day
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A seven-year-old girl whose face was savaged by a vicious dog is 'super-excited' about the prospect of regaining the sight in her eye as she prepares to undergo her 57th operation.
Amaya Hess suffered appalling injuries five years ago when she was mauled like a rag doll by a pit bull terrier.
The animal tore apart her ear, eye and nose, and ripped off her scalp, leaving the two-year-old in a coma for three months.
Incredible bravery: Amaya Hess enjoys a swim as she waits for her 57th operation
Now, after 56 operations to reconstruct her face, she is making a remarkable recovery and is due to go under the knife again today to repair her right eye.
Her mum, Bobbie Tomlin, said this surgery was special because it was the only procedure Amaya had specifically asked for.
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ShareBobbie said: 'Pulling the eyelid back up off the eye will give her the opportunity to regain her vision after five years. It's huge. She wants it and she's super excited to get it.'
Picture of innocence: Amaya before the brutal attack which has left her face severely disfigured
Amaya, from Indianapolis, said: 'I said, mummy, "I want a new eye".'
She said she wanted to get her eye repaired more than the surgery she was originally supposed to get, which would have reconstructed her ear.
In 2006, Bobbie was walking Amaya to the park in a pushchair when the pit bull got loose from a neighbour's home and grabbed the toddler.
Amaya was in a coma in hospital for three months after the attack.
The seven-year-old has needed 56 operations so far to repair her terrible injuries
Bobbie said she's not angry anymore about the attack that changed their lives forever.
But she said she will not take Amaya to parks or neighborhoods where dogs aren't on leashes.
'Amaya is not as scared of dogs as I am because she was asleep when it happened,' she said.
Perpetrator: The pit bull cut loose from a neighbour's garden and grabbed Amaya from her buggy
'Our life changed and I can't say I would change it back. I've learned that at two years old, my daughter could have been taken away from me and I could have never had her back and I fought for her and she's still here.
'She puts a smile on my face every day,' she said.
A website has been set up for updates about Amaya's recovery and information about how to donate to help with her medical bills. visit Amayahess.org.
Proud: Amaya's mother, Bobbie Tomlin, says her daughter makes her smile every day
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