KULPMONT -- In a recovery that seems almost miraculous, a 9-year-old girl has returned home from a Valley hospital, 11 days after being mauled by a bullmastiff and left in critical condition.
Amanda Smith, who was attacked by the dog April 19 in Kulpmont and flown by helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center, Danville, was released on Tuesday.
"She's very happy to get out of the hospital and be here," her stepfather, Bill Urbanavage, said Thursday while watching his daughter play with the many toys that friends, neighbors and family have showered upon her.
Hannah Montana items top the list.
"I love Hannah Montana," Amanda said with a slight smile -- as much as she could muster with the swelling and severe facial injuries she suffered -- a broken jaw and nose, fractured skull and a torn tear duct.
"She's a strong girl," Urbanavage said. "She's stronger than anybody else I've ever seen. Sometimes, when I see her playing, it's almost like nothing happened."
Doctors thought she'd be in the hospital for up to a month, said Jennifer Smith, Amanda's mother, who is finally breathing a sigh of relief after two stressful weeks.
"They were amazed at how fast she is recovering."
Amanda has had two surgeries, one to reconstruct her nose and the other to fix her jaw. Doctors are giving her time to build strength before an operation to repair a tear duct that was torn out by the dog.
Plastic surgery will be needed in the future.
Stitches in Amanda's skull will be removed soon. Scars on her face are expected to fade in about a year.
"Believe it or not, after all this, she's not in pain," Jennifer Smith said. "But because of her jaw, she has to eat soft foods."
While recovering, Amanda has a pick line -- similar to an IV -- attached to her arm that dispenses medicine to her.
"I'm feeling OK," Amanda said. "I'm not hurt anymore."
Over the next few weeks she has appointments with six different doctors at Geisinger.
"They have done an amazing job on her face," Jennifer Smith said. "You should have seen her right after the accident. Her face was all bloodied. It was terrible."
The Amanda of old is now returning, now that she is home.
She has always been a happy, upbeat child, her mother said.
"Very friendly," Jennifer Smith said. "Everybody loves her."
Amanda and her family had just moved to Kulpmont from Lewisburg when the dog attack occurred.
A former student at Kelly Elementary School in Lewisburg, Amanda attended Mount Carmel Elementary for only two days before the attack. Even so, she had already made friends.
One of those friends, a 9-year old from Coal Township, had an aunt, Maryjoy Ruffner, who lived across the street from Amanda.
Ruffner owned a bullmastiff named Bandit.
On April 19, Amanda and her new friend walked the bullmastiff. When another dog charged Bandit, the girls tried to prevent a fight, and Bandit turned on the girls.
Pam Pellowski, of Kulpmont, was driving along Chestnut Street when she saw the attack.
"I started beeping my car horn." Pellowski said Thursday while sitting with Amanda in her family's living room. "I screamed, Help! Help!' But that dog would not get off her. Then, covered with blood, she ran across the street and I thought, Who is she and where is she going?' She was holding her face.
"The thing is, she never screamed. Not once."
Soon after, Amanda was flown by helicopter to Geisinger.
True to her nature, it wasn't long before Amanda made friends in the hospital.
"One day I showed a (student) nurse how to help me with my medicine," Amanda said.
Her friends -- and strangers -- have returned the favor.
"I might have to move into another room, I have gotten so many presents," Amanda said.
Jennifer Smith said she's been very surprised by all the support that has been shown to her family.
"I want to thank everyone," she said. "I've found that when something like this happens, people in small towns come together."
n E-mail comments to rdandes@dailyitem.com
News
Related Photos
-
Robert Inglis
-
Robert Inglis
-
-
Robert Inglis
-
Robert Inglis
-
Discussion
Amanda Smith recovers at home following dog attack
9-year-old must have additional surgeries
- News
-
-
State police probe murder-suicide near Watsontown
WATSONTOWN - An 85-year-old Watsontown man shot and killed a 69-year-old female companion then turned the gun on himself Tuesday afternoon, state police at Milton report.
-
2 Valley schools in top 5.5% in nation
LEWISBURG — U.S. News & World Report magazine has ranked Lewisburg Area as the 15th-best academic high school in Pennsylvania and the 803rd best in the nation, according to a report released earlier this month.
-
Northumberland opts to build sewage plant
NORTHUMBERLAND — Ending months of speculation, the Northumberland Sewer Authority has voted to build a water treatment plant, at an estimated cost of $9 million, to replace the 40-year-old sewage plant at 100 Water St.
-
Mifflinburg school board OKs millage increase
MIFFLINBURG — The Mifflinburg school board Tuesday night approved raising the property tax rate to the maximum allowed under the index, equaling about a $30 increase a year for the average taxpayer.
-
Support grows for city garden
SUNBURY— More than a month after several Bucknell University students resurrected an empty city lot by transforming the land into a full-size garden, neighbors, nearby residents and now business leaders from outside Sunbury have decided to chip in by donating seeds and planting tools in order to spruce up the corner lot.
-
Stat of the Day: 21,776
Stat of the day: 21,776. That's the number of high schools evaluated nationwide by U.S. News & World Report, after which the magazine determined that Lewisburg Area High was the 803rd best in the U.S., and Selinsgrove Area, 1,187th.
-
State House approves sales-tax exemption for airplanes
HARRISBURG — A bill to exempt the purchase and maintenance of airplanes from Pennsylvania's 6 percent sales tax won a strong vote of confidence in the state House of Representatives.
-
State lawmakers consider takeover of struggling school districts
HARRISBURG — A Republican-penned bill that would pave the way for state takeovers of Pennsylvania school districts veering toward financial collapse has the support of Gov. Tom Corbett and is advancing in the Legislature.
-
Take Me Home: Yip
Yip is a young dog, best guess is Bichon/Daschund. He is friendly and loves everyone, especially anyone who will rub his belly or let him on their lap for some doggie kisses. He enjoys car rides, has done well around other dogs, cats, and kids. Housebreaking and crate training are in the works.
-
Joe Paterno earned $13.4 million pension at Penn State
STATE COLLEGE — Joe Paterno earned a state pension of $13.4 million for his 61-year coaching career at Penn State.
-
Police Log 05.22.12
A roundup of police news reported by departments across the Central Susquehanna Valley.
-
Montour County judge dismisses flooding lawsuit
DANVILLE — A Montour County judge has dismissed a case brought against Mahoning Township by residents of the Gaytowne subdivision.
- More News Headlines
-
