A little girl whose face was torn apart in a horrific dog attack while playing outside her home is dreaming of a trip to Disneyland Paris.
After five-year-old Elsie's story was shared, the kindness of others has meant that a GoFundMe page has been set up to try to give Elsie her dream trip.
Elsie, 5, was left with life-changing injuries after her neighbour's dog mauled at her face and tore a chunk out of her cheek while she played with her friends outside her family's flat in New Addington, Croydon, south London.
Despite already undergoing surgery three times since the attack, the brave girl will sadly be seeing a surgeon for the rest of her life after the Staffordshire bull terrier pinned her to the ground.
Mum Kirsty, 29, has said that as well as her physical injuries, Elsie has been left traumatised. Because of this, her family have been left motivated to do something magical for her in order to to take her mind off the attack.
The frightening incident happened at around 5pm on September 25 when Elsie and her nine-year-old sister Amelia were outside a secure area at the back of their block. Kirsty had been watching from the inside when she saw her neighbour's dog was released into the area without a lead or muzzle on and charged directly at Elsie.
The children in the area clambered up a wall to escape, but tragically Elsie fell over and was attacked.
The five-year-old's mum rushed to her safety and put her on her shoulder so the dog couldn't get her. Kirsty recalled the shocking incident, saying: "I can remember the feeling of panic, seeing the dog on her face. I can't get that image out of my head."
She continued to say that the dog carried on jumping towards her daughter until they reached the safety of another house.
As soon as they escaped the terror of the dog, it was only then that Kirsty saw the severity of her little ones injuries, saying: "There was blood everywhere and a chunk of her face was wide open. A chunk of her cheek was hanging off and you could see inside her nose through the bridge of her nose.
"In the ambulance she was trying to fall asleep but the paramedics were talking to her to try to keep her conscious. She turned to me at one point and said 'Mummy it's ok but I've got to go, I've got to close my eyes now.'"
The youngster was rushed to St George's Hospital where she had to undergo surgery for four hours.
Elsie's mum also revealed that her daughter has been left feeling completely shaken up by the attack - so much so that: ""She doesn't want to go out, particularly on public transport because she doesn't want people to stare at her. She hasn't been back to school since because she doesn't want her friends to see her like this".
And the family now face daily reminders of the attack, with Amelia being left unable to sleep because of the trauma.
Kirsty said: "It's very hard coming in and out of our home, seeing where they used to play. Every time I open the door it's right there. I can't look at the place where it happened, I can't put the bins out. The kids find it hard to come in and out, I have to carry Elsie and her older sister in every time.
"It's been catastrophic for our whole family. My partner, my kids, everyone is in counselling. We're all just traumatised."
Elsie's mum and dad, Kirsty and Aaron, hope to take Elsie, Amelia and their baby brother Khyran to Disneyland to give them something to look forward to.
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