Mum who had nostril bitten off and ‘swallowed’ by canine reveals face after 16 surgical procedures
WARNING, GRAPHIC IMAGES: Jordan Wilson, 29, was visiting her brother-in-law and his girlfriend when the latter’s Boerboel mauled her, biting off her entire nose and, she believes, swallowing it
A woman whose nose was savagely torn off by a dog says she’s finally beginning to resemble and feel like her former self – after medics crafted her a replacement nose using tissue from her forehead and bikini line.
It’s been three-and-a-half years since Jordan Wilson was mauled by a family friend’s Boerboel, when the dog “lunged” for her nose and refused to release its grip. It comes after a woman’s lip was torn off by a stray dog.
The devastation was horrific, with the animal completely severing her entire nose and, they suspect, swallowing it – leaving Jordan in excruciating agony with catastrophic facial trauma.
Since the brutal attack, the 29 year old has endured 16 operations to reconstruct her face – including nasal rebuilding, utilising sections of her forehead for her replacement nose, which resulted in her being able to sense her head when touching the reconstructed area.
WARNING, PHOTOS BELOW ARE GRAPHIC IN NATURE:
Now, the mother-of-two is opening up about how she’s coping with the life-altering incident and everything that’s transpired since the dog, which remains alive, first pounced on her.
“Up until this year, I had a really hard time going out in public, thinking people were wondering why I look the way I look,” Jordan, a stay-at-home mum from Pennsylvania, US, told NeedToKnow.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to feel completely like myself, but I have been getting compliments from friends and family lately that I am starting to look like myself again.
“I now have a very different outlook on life and beauty as a whole – there are so many things that are more important than these external things.”
Jordan was visiting her brother-in-law and his partner when the woman’s Boerboel savagely attacked her in April 2022, despite the dog having previously been comfortable around her.
Her brother-in-law now covers her medical insurance and personal costs for the multiple operations she’s endured since that horrific day.
Although Jordan reported the incident to police, who classified the animal as dangerous, they did not demand it to be destroyed – though the owner was required to display warning signage outside her property and pay a penalty.
Jordan revealed: “I have mixed feelings about the dog being alive.
“I don’t necessarily think a dog bites a person one time and should be put down.
“But I do feel like, because it wasn’t the first time that the dog had bitten someone”.
“But it also wasn’t an aggressive attack, either.
“He just leaned in and lunged at my nose, and that was that – it wasn’t a continuous attack.”
Jordan believes that, given the animal’s massive size, the incident might have been meant as play rather than aggression.
She elaborated: “The reason I say it wasn’t super aggressive is because this dog could have killed me.
“If it had kept biting me, I’d be dead.
“All it did was latch onto my nose, and because the breed is so large and strong, it was able to do the amount of damage that it did.
“It completely ripped off my entire nose and, from what I was told, he likely swallowed it.
“My right cheek was also badly injured, and there was a lot of blood.
“I didn’t look in the mirror until after my second surgery, when they had done a skin graft and placed the first tissue expander.”
After the horrifying incident, Jordan was immediately taken to hospital. There, medics cleaned the gaping wound where her nose used to be while considering the next steps for her treatment.
Since that time, she has undergone procedures to place tissue expanders in her forehead, which temporarily gave her a swollen appearance, and a skin graft was performed.
She then underwent a forehead flap surgery, a procedure that involves rotating a piece of skin from the forehead to cover the nose, which is later separated.
While the nerve cells were still connected, Jordan experienced a peculiar sensation in her forehead whenever she touched her reconstructed nose.
However, this connection has since been severed.
She explained: “When I would touch my nose, it would feel like I was touching my forehead.
“Now, it fully feels like I’m touching my nose.
“It’s really crazy how resilient our bodies are, and how the nerves eventually find their way back.”
Jordan has also undergone several surgeries to refine and reshape her new nose.
Despite enduring 16 surgeries so far, Jordan appears remarkably well. She has been sharing her recovery journey on TikTok, where she has amassed over 135,000 followers.
Her reconstructed nose is functioning properly as well – with Jordan even updating her supporters that her nasal passages work normally, although she’s unable to pick her nose due to the robust cartilage and narrow nostrils she now has.
Making good progress in her recovery, Jordan shared: “I’m currently feeling good overall.
“My forehead is still a bit sore from the expander removal – it was a lot of stretching and moving of skin.
“My whole head has this strange sensation, kind of like when your foot falls asleep: that mix of numbness and pain.
“It’s such a weird feeling.
“At this point, I have about three more surgeries ahead – mostly to continue refining and shaping my nose – until I’m truly happy with the result.”
Despite everything she’s endured, her passion for animals remains intact – though she’s now constantly vigilant, especially when her children are present.
Jordan explained: “I still love all animals, but I’m much more cautious around them now, knowing how vulnerable we really are.
“When my kids are around dogs, I find myself even more protective and anxious than I am for myself.
“Not just because of my own experience, but from hearing the stories of so many others who’ve gone through similar trauma.
“Through all of this – while it’s been incredibly hard and I still have days where I ask ‘why did this happen?’ – I do my best to find meaning and turn it into something positive.
“I share my story and surgical journey online to bring both awareness and comfort to others going through similar experiences.
“Facial trauma can be extremely difficult to cope with, but seeing others who understand can make you feel less alone.”
