Raccoon-mauled girl in surgery Thursday

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The West Michigan girl who was attacked by a raccoon as a baby is about to undergo the second phase of reconstructive surgery to repair severe damage to her face.

Charlotte Ponce, 10, was only three months old when her biological parents' pet raccoon climbed into her crib and mauled her. Her biological parents lost custody. Charlotte's great aunt and uncle adopted her and her brother. They now live in Spring Lake.

Charlotte is scheduled to have a six-hour procedure Thursday morning at Beaumont Hospital to continue the rebuilding of her nose. Charlotte underwent an eight-hour procedure in August to begin the process.

She and her parents traveled back to Royal Oak Wednesday, but spoke with 24 Hour News 8 before leaving.

Great-aunt Sharon Ponce said that this surgery may be "more graphic" than the last because Charlotte's nose coming out of the surgery may look "kind of funky."

"This one, they'll actually be bringing a flap of skin down and then taking some from her rib to make the cartilage in her nose," said Sharon.

Sharon said that the recovery time for this surgery -- which will be performed by Dr. Kongkrit Chaiyasate, Charlotte's plastic surgeon -- is shorter than the last. Charlotte will spend three to five days in the hospital rather than a week.

"This one's a little easier because we know this one he's done several times before, where the last one was he said on a scale of one to 10, it was a 12," said Sharon.

Charlotte is expected to undergo a total of four surgeries to fix her nose, Sharon said. Next spring, doctors hope to start on repair to her ear. Later, they'll move on to repair on her lip.

All in all, the process should take about two years.

But, she said, Charlotte has been strong throughout.

"She's a trooper," Sharon said.

Sharon said the family has handled the stress of the surgeries with help from their community.

"A lot of prayer, support, talking to people," she said.

She cited the freezer full of popsicles that a community member donated to Charlotte when her room was redecorated while she was in the hospital in August.

Charlotte had no complaints about that gift.

"Still not sick of popsicles," she said. "Even though I ate a whole bunch."

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