‘When will my ear be full again?’: Autistic boy’s plea after devastating pitbull attack

Ask AI 2minBefore the attack: Luan Tissong with his mum, Praviksha Mangali.

“Mummy, when will my ear be full again, and when will my hand be fine so I can play with the other children?” is what’s on eight-year-old Luan Tissong’s mind after he was mauled by two pit bulls in Phoenix, earlier this month.

Since the attack, Luan has been operated on twice before being discharged from the hospital.

His right ear was partially ripped off during the attack, and due to the dogs’ pulling force, his left arm was degloved, meaning the skin and underlying tissue from his upper arm to his elbow were torn from the deeper structures of the limb.

His mother, Praviksha Mangali, 38, who was dragged by the pit bulls during the attack, hurt her knees and sustained bruises and scratches to her body as she tried to shield Luan from the attack.

She said they were still traumatised by the incident.

“My injuries are fine, but I am still in shock about what happened. It never really leaves you. It is something you don’t want to think about,” she said.

She declined to speak about the incident, adding that she had not watched the CCTV video of the attack on social media nor read the comments.

“It just gives me the shivers to know what we went through and me trying to save Luan.”

Mangali said her son’s wounds were treated regularly and he has had several checkups at the hospital.

She described him as being “absolutely strong”.

“I don’t think it has hit him as to what has happened. He often asks me, ‘Mummy, when will my ear be full again, and when will my hand be fine so I can play with the other children?’ I tell him, just give it some time. It’s difficult to answer those questions. He is just eight years old and autistic.

“We also try not to remind him of what happened. But he sometimes has nightmares. I wake him up immediately because he talks in his sleep, saying, ‘Leave me alone’ and ‘Mummy, let’s go home’.”

In his recovery phase, Luan spends his time watching YouTube, listening to music and playing board games.

He has not yet returned to homeschooling.

“We don’t want to stress him. Resting and recovery are more important at this stage.”

Mangali thanked the medical staff at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital and the community for their support.

“Whatever happened to us is not good, but life goes on, and we are doing it positively.”

On September 6, they were walking on Bramford Road in Sunford in Phoenix to a nearby shop when the pit bulls allegedly escaped from a neighbour’s yard and attacked them. At the time, the dog’s owner said the pit bulls were subsequently euthanised.

Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza, a police spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, said police were investigating a case of negligently failing to prevent an animal from causing injury.

“The case is ongoing and is in court,” said Magwaza.