Girl mauled by raccoon completes surgeries with a new ear

A western Michigan girl whose face was mauled by a pet raccoon when she was a baby is celebrating the completion of two years’ worth of reconstructive surgical procedures.

Charlotte Ponce had her upper lip repaired, her nose rebuilt, and last month she got a new ear.

The 12-year-old from Spring Lake has spent a lot of time at Beaumont Hospital in suburban Detroit since 2012.

On Monday, the doctor who performed her surgeries looked back on Charlotte’s journey.

Kongkrit Chaiyasate tells WXYZ-TV he kept his word. He says he told Charlotte she would get her nose, lip and ear back, and she did.

During a procedure last week, Chaiyasate surprised his patient by piercing her new ear and fashioning a makeshift earring from IV tubing.

This story was originally published August 19, 2014 at 10:01 AM with the headline "Girl mauled by raccoon completes surgeries with a new ear."