We went to Cuba, MO tonight to talk with Lexi Middleton and her family. Lexi is the 7-year-old girl who was mauled by a neighbor's pit bull on February 5th. It put her in the hospital for several days. She was in intensive care for awhile. She's had two surgeries (the first one lasting 9 hours) and could need several more.
Lexi is now home from the hospital. She seems like a typical 7-year-old. If you're a parent you know what I mean. We sat in the family's living room and talked with Lexi and her mother, sister and two brothers. Lexi showed us how she wiggles her nose like a bunny. It was such a small thing for a kid but it's not just child's play. She has to wiggle her nose, raise her eyebrows, smile and move the muscles in her face every day. The injuries were severe. Her mother explained that Lexi's left cheekbone was "shattered." She had puncture wounds in her throat.
Lexi asked about the pit bull that attacked her and was told she didn't need to worry about it. The dog was shot and killed after the attack. It's unclear who killed the animal. Beyond that, Lexi hasn't said anything about the attack. Her mother told us tonight that she's just not ready to talk about it.
