11 years ago today I was staying at my aunt's house. I went to let her Chesapeake Bay retriever off its chain and he jumped on me. I had a concussion and lost consciousness. When I woke up her dog was grabbing my neck, shaking and throwing my head back down. He bit through my ring finger, into my left eye, tore off my left ear leaving it hanging by the lobe, ripped back my scalp exsposing my skull and was centimeters from tearing open my carotid artery. I was trying to scream for help but couldn't. Another one of my aunt's dogs barking got my aunt's attention and she sprung into action. She had bad knees and somehow ran to me and had to push her knees into him to pry him off of me. I remember trying to run away and falling up the stairs to her house, I went straight to the mirror where I saw my face torn off in front of me. I was convinced I was going to die and all I wanted was to see my mom one more time. I was taken by ambulance to a small town hospital (we were in the middle of no where) where they refused my care because it was too exstinsive. On my way to a bigger hospital I wasn't able to breathe and was given oxygen until we got there. I underwent 5 hours of reconstruction surgery and stayed in the hospital for two weeks with over 300 stiches, 20 staples and a neck brace. Not only did I survive but all I have to show for it now is faded scares and pictures. I still have 20/20 vision and perfect hearing and my ear and face was pieced back together beautifully. I have the most amazing husband and get to be a mommy to a baby girl soon. I am so thankful for my life and am in school to become a nurse practitioner and work in the picu unit. My story has traveled the US and been used in trauma classes all over. Such a horrific experience has shaped who I am and at the end of the day, more good has come from it than bad. ❤️