TECHNOLOGY

Dogs Attack Boy Playing on Trampoline, Biting Him 75 Times

"It is an image I will never [forget], his skin was just hanging and you could see his skull and his artery in his neck," the boy's mother said.

2021-11-15 12:11

Two dogs mauled a 9-year-old boy while he was playing on a trampoline at a friend's house, leaving him with severe wounds all over his body. The attack happened in October in White Lake Township, Michigan, during which the boy, Hunter Heater, suffered "massive lacerations and wounds" that were inches from main arteries, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help raise money for the family's medical costs. The dogs left 75 bites all over his body, closely missing both his jugular vein and windpipe. Fortunately, the boy received prompt medical attention and was rushed to the hospital by paramedics.

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"It is an image I will never [forget], his skin was just hanging and you could see his skull and his artery in his neck," the boy's mother, Rachel Heater, told WJBK. After arriving at the hospital, medical staff managed to stabilize the boy and begin treating his wounds. Over six hours of surgery, the boy had to have 200 stitches on his arms, face, legs, and neck, and more than 40 staples on his skull. According to the GoFundMe page, surgeons also had to put muscles in his leg and arm back together, while he also had multiple skull fractures near the temporal bone behind the left ear. In addition, the boy had swelling in the brain but that has since gone down. He is also suffering from memory loss. The nine-year-old is now receiving physical therapy to help him walk again. He now has numerous scars all over his body, some of which might require plastic surgery in the future. The organizers of the GoFundMe page, Nicole Bidwell and James Bidwell, said the boy is "emotionally, mentally and physically scarred" from his traumatic event. His mother told WJBK: "His favorite color used to be red, he can't look at red. He can't eat hot dogs and hot dogs were his favorite, because it reminds him of the dogs eating him." According to WJBK, the medical bills are mounting up for the family, who are having to pay for everything out of pocket. The GoFundMe page has raised more than $9,600 so far, with a goal of $10,000 set. "The medical costs are overwhelming at this point the family and Hunter truly needs your help. All donations go directly to his medical expenses and for Hunter's recovery," the organizers said.