Cape Town - A crowdfunding campaign to help pay the medical bills of a three-year-old girl and her grandfather who were mauled by their neighbour’s dogs has raised nearly R158 000.
The campaign on the BackABuddy website aims to raise R250 000 for little Emma Murphy and her grandfather Aubrey Murphy, 56, who nearly lost his arm in the attack at their home in Athlone on 20 June.
On Tuesday, the girl’s mom, Tracy, told the Daily Voice her daughter was at home and recovering well.
“Emma is such a fighter. She is doing much better and being around Kate has helped her immensely. They are helping each other get over what happened. She is at home and will go back in hospital on Sunday for another procedure,” explains Tracy.
The neighbour’s pit bull and rottweiler had apparently jumped a two-metre-high fence to get into their yard.
However, another neighbour who eventually managed to scare off the dogs after the attack, said he believes they got into Emma’s yard through a hole in the fence.
Dad Carl, grandfather Aubrey, Kate, Emma and mom Tracy pose for a selfie at hospital. Picture: Supplied
Aubrey went to investigate the noise, and Emma and her twin sister Kate followed.
Aubrey saved his granddaughter’s life by throwing his body on top of her.
Kate was not injured. Emma, whose scalp was torn off, has since had 10 operations at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital.
Tracy says Emma will be undergoing reconstructive and plastic surgery.
Paula Pinkham, a close friend of Tracy’s, started the crowdfunding initiative to assist the family financially.
On the page, it said Emma would often talk to the neighbour’s dogs through the wall.
“She was especially fond of Winnie, who happened to be one of the dogs that attacked her.”
Picture: Supplied
The dogs have since been removed by the Cape of Good Hope SPCA. It is not clear if they have been put down.
Tracy says they are overwhelmed at the support they have received.
The mom, who was forced to close the doors of her newly opened salon to care for her daughters, returned to work this week.
Kate has returned to school and the girls have both started play therapy to work through the trauma they’ve experienced.
“People have been absolutely amazing. The BackABuddy-crowdfunding will be of such a help. We are deeply grateful for the support from people.
“All the prayers, the visits and the calls, mean so very much, thank you,” says Tracy.
If you’d like to contribute see backabuddy.co.za.