When Charlotte Ponce was just three months old, she endured a horror that she would remember for the rest of her life every time she looked in the mirror.
The family had a raccoon and when her parents left Charlotte in her crib with a bottle full of milk, the raccoon climbed into her crib and bit her on the face. It is believed that the raccoon was after the milk.
The attack destroyed her right ear, nose, and part of her lip and cheek.
The tragic event for Charlotte meant that her biological parents lost custody of her and her older brother. Instead, they were placed with their relatives, Sharon and Tim Ponce, where they got a fresh start.
Suffered from depression
But because of the terrible event, Charlotte had a hard time coping and she struggled with depression. Fortunately, she made a small group of friends in high school.
Despite the numerous surgeries to reconstruct her face, Charlotte never complained or cried during these surgeries, according to an article in the Daily Mail.
For the past five years, her pediatric plastic surgeon Dr. Kongkrit Chaiyaste at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, has been rebuilding Charlotte’s face.
But this latest operation would be quite significant for this brave girl, as doctors made efforts to reinforce her ear using tissue from her stomach. Finally, she would be able to do something she had always wanted to do – take ear piercings!
Charlotte, who was 14 at the time of the surgery, could finally wear the different earrings she had collected over the years.
During the 90-minute surgery, doctors also used stomach tissue to give her upper lip and right cheek more fullness.
Wants to help others
Charlotte has always remained positive and her confidence has grown with each surgery.
‘She is a fighter,’ said Dr. Chaiyasate to the Detroit Free-Press. “She never cried. Throughout every operation, she never complained.’
But perhaps the most amazing outcome of all this is that Charlotte wants to become a biomedical engineer when she grows up, so she can create prosthetic devices for people who are also missing parts of their bodies.
Good luck to you Charlotte! Keep your head high, you have a beautiful smile. We wish you great success in the future.
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