A woman has documented her courageous recovery after suffering horrific facial injuries when her nose was torn off by a dog in a terrifying attack.
Jordan Wilson, 26, has undergone 10 grueling surgeries after being attacked by a Boerboel in a freak attack in April 2022 – and has earned social media stardom along the way by opening up about her journey online.
The mother and her boyfriend were staying with his brother and his girlfriend, who owned the Boerboel, when the attack happened.
“We had just gotten home from dinner and were all sitting on the floor together,” the Pennsylvania native recalled. ‘The dog was on a lead at the time as it was known to be quite territorial.’
A woman has documented her recovery after suffering horrific facial injuries when her nose was torn off by a dog in a terrifying attack (pictured before the incident)
Jordan Wilson, 26, had to undergo 10 surgeries (seen after her first procedure) to repair the damage done when she was attacked by a dog, which belonged to her brother’s girlfriend
Jordan (seen during her treatment process) has candidly documented her recovery on social media
Jordan said she “blacked out a bit” when the dog attacked, but her friend later told her what happened and told her that the dog leaned forward as if he was going to lick her face, but instead quickly moved toward she fell out.
“(The dog) closed its jaw around my nose and refused to let go,” Jordan recalled.
“When the owner finally managed to get him off of me, I remember holding my face and seeing the blood pouring down,” she described the horrific injury.
While everyone else was ‘screaming and panicking’, Jordan said she remained ‘completely calm’ – despite having her nose almost completely ripped off.
“I just knew we had to get to the emergency room as quickly as possible,” she claimed.
Jordan was rushed to Tampa General Hospital, but the hospital did not have the qualified plastic surgeons she needed. She was then taken by ambulance to another hospital and underwent her first operation.
The doctors cleaned the wound and covered it with an artificial skin substitute; What Jordan really needed, however, was a forehead flap.
A forehead flap is one of the oldest recorded surgical techniques for nasal reconstruction and has been shown to maximize both functional and aesthetic results of the surgery.
“(The dog) closed its jaw around my nose and refused to let go,” Jordan recalled
After the attack, Jordan was rushed to the hospital, but there were not the plastic surgeons she needed. She was taken to another hospital and underwent her first of many surgeries
The doctors cleaned the wound and covered it with an artificial skin substitute; What Jordan really needed, however, was a forehead flap, a procedure she later underwent
Because the procedure was so specialized, there were only a handful of surgeons worldwide who performed it in Jordan (seen at left before the attack and immediately after the operations).
In this surgery, a reconstructive surgeon uses the skin of the forehead above the eyebrow and turns it vertically to replace missing nasal tissue. However, it was difficult to find a surgeon qualified for the specific type of reconstruction.
“Unfortunately, because the procedure is so specialized, there are only a handful of surgeons worldwide who perform it,” she explained.
Determined to find the most qualified person for the job, Jordan headed to Miami to visit a series of different doctors in the hope that someone would agree to perform the surgery.
“My numerous appointments ended in disappointment as my requests for a forehead flap were repeatedly denied,” she recalls.
Jordan discovered that there was a surgeon in the United States known for his work in forehead flap surgery, but he was retired.
Fortunately, the Dallas doctor was able to make a recommendation for one of his former colleagues, with whom he had worked for a long time.
Even though it meant moving to Dallas for six months while undergoing carious surgeries and treatments, Jordan and her boyfriend didn’t hesitate to hop on a plane.
After ‘numerous appointments ended in disappointment’, Jordan finally found a doctor to help her reconstruct her nose
However, that doctor had retired – and Jordan (seen after several surgeries) was referred to one of his associates
The mother of one (seen at left before the attack and immediately after several surgeries) was forced to move to Dallas for six months to undergo treatment
With Jordan undergoing a procedure the day she arrived in Dallas, her recovery had officially begun, even though she still had a long journey ahead.
To have more skin to work with in rebuilding her nose, Dr. Thornton placed a tissue expander in her forehead.
The next operation was on the forehead flap, which was performed in four different stages. Unfortunately, she “struggled with an infection” after the operation, which hampered her recovery.
Since then, she has undergone a total of nine surgical procedures, but she is happy to report that her recovery from the surgery is going ‘well’.
According to Jordan’s TikTok, she had undergone 10 reconstruction surgeries as of July 2023 and said staying optimistic about her future was key to her speedy recovery.
“I quickly accepted the reality that I would never have the same face again, and as a result, I didn’t spend much time being too depressed about the situation,” she explained.
“I have good days and bad days, but having my boyfriend around, who has been my biggest supporter through it all, has definitely had an impact on my ability to stay positive,” Jordan admitted.
Jordan announced her first pregnancy in March 2023 and gave birth to her first child, River, in August 2023.
“The unconditional love and care he has shown for me throughout this ordeal is truly remarkable. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have him,” she said.
In addition to love and support, Jordan frequently uses various self-care practices to speed her recovery and calm her down on “dark days.”
She sees things like meditating daily, journaling, practicing yoga and spending at least 15 minutes outside in the sun as “extremely important drivers” for her recovery.
Jordan announced her first pregnancy in March 2023 and gave birth to her first child, River, in August 2023.
The brave woman is loving her new role and reflects on motherhood in an Instagram post, writing: ‘Undoubtedly the hardest job on earth, but the most beautiful and honorable one I will ever have.’