12-year-old boy's self-rescue struggle with two fierce dogs

The two dogs weighed nearly 30 kg. 12-year-old Thao weighed 24 kg and was emaciated. He was not strong enough to resist the pulling of the two dogs, struggling and constantly calling for help. His body was covered with dog bite wounds, bleeding and mixed with mud from the field.

The boy's struggle with the two dogs lasted for more than 10 minutes before an uncle who was visiting the field discovered it. This person used dirt and bricks to chase the dogs away.

"The boy was covered in mud but it was still clear that his face and scalp were crushed, both ears were missing, and blood was flowing everywhere," said his uncle.

The family quickly took Thao to the emergency room at Tho Xuan District General Hospital, then transferred her to Thanh Hoa Provincial Children's Hospital for an emergency blood transfusion to save her life, and then transferred her to Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, Hanoi.

"The child's two ears were eaten by dogs and could not be found at the scene to be taken to the hospital for transplant," the patient recounted.

The accident happened on April 29, and to this day, Thao's mother, Ha Thi Minh, still blames herself. She was the one who sent her child to the field that afternoon to call her brother home, "which is why she was bitten by a dog and suffered such serious injuries." Since Thao was hospitalized, Minh has not slept a wink, always staying by her child's bedside. For her, the past few days have been as terrifying as a nightmare. However, in front of her child, she still tries to hold back, telling herself to be strong and be her child's support.

Ms. Minh is the main breadwinner in the family. Last year, she was diagnosed with fibroadenoma but did not go to the hospital for treatment because her family's financial situation did not allow it.

"After all, I just hope a miracle comes to my poor son," the mother shared.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, Head of the Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, Thao is now awake, can communicate and practice eating through the mouth, but is still tired and pale. Doctors are monitoring the baby for suspected traumatic brain injury and injuries to the abdomen, chest... Doctors are also monitoring whether the skin flap covering the exposed skull is alive or not to perform surgery to reconstruct the baby's scalp.

"The baby's two ears are no longer available for transplantation, so we have to wait at least 6 more months before we can perform ear reconstruction," said Dr. Ha.

Doctors have warned that recently there have been many cases of domestic dogs biting young children, causing serious injuries and even death. Therefore, young children should not be allowed to come into contact with pets, dogs and cats when they are alone. If the family has a dog, they should be isolated from the child at a safe distance.

Dogs leaving captivity must be muzzled and regularly vaccinated against rabies.

People bitten by dogs or cats and bleeding need first aid by disinfecting, cleaning the wound, using clean gauze to bandage to stop bleeding in case of bleeding, then quickly go to the nearest medical facility for emergency treatment.

In case of dog bites on a major blood vessel, severe bleeding can be fatal. It is necessary to quickly apply pressure to stop the bleeding and transfer the victim to a place where blood transfusion and fluid replacement can be provided. If the dog bites the airway, it is necessary to quickly clear the airway before transferring the victim, because if the bleeding cannot be stopped and the victim cannot breathe, he or she will die before reaching an emergency medical facility.

For body parts bitten off by dogs, they need to be retained, preserved and brought to the hospital for surgery to reattach them to the patient.