Major reconstructive surgery planned for girl attacked by raccoon

ROYAL OAK (WXYZ) - Ten years after she was mauled by a pet raccoon, Charlotte Ponce has something new to smile about.

She enjoyed a day at the Detroit Zoo with her family as they tried to take their minds off what Wednesday will bring. Ponce, who is from West Michigan, will undergo the first of three major reconstructive facial surgeries in nine.

When she was three-months-old, Ponce was attacked by the family’s pet raccoon. “The pet raccoon somehow got into the house. And they assume the raccoon was probably after her bottle,” said Sharon Ponce, who is her adoptive mother.

The raccoon tore off Charlotte’s ear, upper lip, and nose. Her biological parents lost custody of her and her 11-year-old brother, Marshall.

Since the attack, Charlotte has undergone several surgeries. Wednesday surgery which will be performed at Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital, will be the longest, and perhaps riskiest. Doctors will work to reconstruct a nose. During the next nine months, doctors expect to perform at least two more surgeries to rebuild Charlotte’s ear and lip.

Keep up with Charlotte’s progress by following her blog.