Woman Who Lost Arms in Dog Attack Keeps Asking Mom to Hold Her Hand

GoFundMe
GoFundMe

The family of Kyleen Waltman, the South Carolina woman who was nearly mauled to death by a pack of dogs, has released another heartbreaking update on her condition.

In a GoFundMe post, Waltman’s sister Amy Wynee says the 38-year-old apparently doesn’t fully realize that both her arms had to be amputated after the attack.

“She will ask our mama to hold her hand and mama says ‘I am,’ and Kyleen will say ‘OK,’” Wynne wrote. “It’s sad to see her like this.”

Waltman was walking home in Honea Path on March 21 when three dogs tore into her, tearing off massive pieces of flesh across her body. The dogs were euthanized and the owner, Justin Minor, was charged with violations of animal-control laws.

Waltman has been in the hospital ever since, battling one setback after another. Not only were both arms amputated up to her shoulder, she also lost part of her colon and is still in danger of losing a leg.

At one point, when she was removed from sedation and doctors told her about her arms, she got so upset she had to be put back under.

But in the latest update, her sister says she is in “good spirits.”

“Kyleen is very antsy she wants to leave and wants to drink her dr. Pepper and get out of bed,” Wynne wrote. “She is awake and alert she is very hard headed, lol.”

But she still faces many challenges, including another operation Tuesday on her leg and a skin graft on her right shoulder.

“The left shoulder still isn’t healing and they don’t have enough skin to do another graft. They’re hoping they can put a balloon in her right flank where there isn’t any bite marks so they can stretch the skin to do the graft on her leg if it’s doing good once it’s cleaned and her left shoulder,” her sister wrote.

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