Kate's Journey to Recovery!

​Immediately after returning from Christmas with my family I was viciously attacked by my neighbor’s very large Pit Bull. The dog leapt over a fence and grabbed my face and shook me until he tore away a large portion of my identity. I sustained immense tissue loss and damage as well as emotional trauma that haunt me every day. After being rushed to the local hospital I was immediately transferred to UVM Medical Center to undergo emergency reconstructive surgery. Weeks later I underwent another massive reconstructive surgery and now, over a month later, I patiently await the third and hopefully last surgery to help restore the smile I am proud to say I got from my beautiful mother. After I heal from surgery I will need collagen injections to fill in the concaves in my face due to massive tissue loss and extensive laser surgery, potentially for years to come to help smooth and fade the horrific scars.
​Barely a week previous I had just graduated with my bachelor’s degree and was working two jobs while in school. Due to being in school and working part time I have no coverage through employment for health care and lost wages and was currently financially clawing my way through life in order to finish school. I was out of work for the first month and have been released to return to one job preforming low risk work part time. Once I undergo my third surgery I will be back to square one of healing and out of work again for weeks.
​Any contribution will graciously be used to help with medical bills, trauma therapy, keeping my home, and helping to restore my severely derailed life. That’s all I want back, my life, my ability to give back to my community. As a caregiver for mental health and human services I am used to being asked for help. I have worked hard to accept that, right now, I’m the one in need of help.
​Thank you for reading my story.