Just as our wonderful EASTER weekend filled with dyeing and decorating eggs, egg hunts and time spent with friends was wrapping up, disaster struck. Our sweet girl was bitten by a close friend's dog. It was terrifying and it happened in a split second. Thankfully my husband and the dog's owner were right there and intervened before further damage could be done. The dog bit her several times on her face and head. We rushed to the hospital where they did tests. We were interviewed so many times - sheriff, social worker, doctor, nurse, billing people all while trying to comfort our little girl and doing our best to keep it together for her. It's an amazing thing being a mommy in crisis. I never thought I would be so strong or so calm but I was and it was all for her. While everyone panicked around us, I held her tightly and reassured her that it would be okay. She screamed, she cried, she bled but I didn't crumble. Even after hours in the ER watching her being held down for a CT scan, IVs, examinations, stitches and staples. That was TOUGH. All the tests came back good. She had no fractures and the cuts/bites were mainly superficial. She will have some scarring but it will be minimal.
UPDATE: Ella is doing great. She was back to herself on Monday - running, climbing, laughing. Today, we went to her followup appointment to get the stitches and staples removed. She was a real trooper. All the swelling is gone, the cut is looking good, and the bruising is almost gone. Such a blessing that children can heal so fast.
And for those of you who are curious about the dog that bit her. He is a lab mix who is the sweetest gentlest dog. We never would have guessed that he would bite anyone, much less Ella! His owners are absolutely heartsick over the incident and have been wonderful to us and are taking full responsibility. The dog has been sent to doggie jail. The county requires that every dog that bites a person has to be quarantined for ten days so that they can determine whether he is a dangerous dog. We all anticipate that the determination will be that he is not dangerous. Our friends assure us that they are taking him to the vet afterwards for an evaluation and that they will not allow him around any other children.
