CT Chimp Attack Victim Continues Her Recovery

Update - Charla Nash Continuing Rehabilitation at Cleveland Clinic

Aug 18, 2009 Mia Carter

Chimpanzee mauling victim Charlie Nash is in good spirits as she overcomes the loss of her hands, face and eyesight. She considers a face transplant at Cleveland Clinic.

It was February 16, 2009, when Charla Nash's life changed forever. Friend and employer Sandra Herold summoned Nash to her Stamford, Connecticut home to help her calm an agitated 200-pound chimpanzee named Travis. Nash's life changed in an instant when she was attacked by Travis the chimp, losing her hands, her eyesight and much of her face.

Six months after the attack, Charla Nash — known to family and friends as "Charlie" — is reclaiming her life as she recovers from the devastating and life-changing injuries suffered during the mauling. And despite the challenges and the fact that she now faces a life with no hands, no eyesight, and severe facial injuries, her fighting spirit has endured, touching and inspiring those around her.

"I'm amazed but I'm not surprised. She's a fighter. She's very motivated...and a bit stubborn," Charla's twin brother Michael Nash explained in an exclusive interview with Suite101's Mia Carter. "Charlie has come so far from where she started. She still has a long road ahead of her – it's going to be a couple of years. But Charlie wants to get fixed. Her attitude is 'I'm going to get fixed and I'm going to move on.' I don't sense any anger from her. She's doing it because she's not alone and she's doing it because she loves her daughter, Briana..."

Charlie Nash's Injuries Following the CT Chimp Mauling

According to Michael Nash, his twin sister Charla's fighting spirit was evident from the very beginning, despite her horrifying injuries. "The E.R. doctor said she was still trying to communicate [immediately after the attack]." Nash explained.

When the agitated pet chimp mauled Charla Nash in February 2009, the injuries were extreme – so extreme that seasoned first responders experienced serious psychological trauma. Charla was scalped and her face bitten away by the chimp, leaving her with "a hole the size of your fist in the center of her face...her lips are gone, she lost her nose, her upper jaw has been replaced with an artificial palate so she can talk. Her eye sockets were crushed, so they were rebuilt, along with her cheekbones." Charla Nash has also undergone an operation to transplant a segment of skin and muscle from her thigh to her face, in an attempt to provide better wound coverage.

Charlie Nash suffered severe eye injuries that required the removal of her eyes, leaving her permanently blind. Her left hand had to be amputated due to the severe injuries suffered in the chimp attack; on her right hand, she lost four of her fingers and most of her palm. It's these injuries that will serve as the largest hurdles in Charla's recovery.

"The main issue for Charla is that she's lost both hands and her eyes. Normally, these senses are used to compensate – a blind person will use his hands to maneuver a cane and to explore the world; a person who's lost his hands needs his eyes as he learns to maneuver a prosthesis. She's lost both, so she's facing an even tougher disability," Nash explained.

In the early stages of her recovery, it was unclear if Charlie would even emerge from unconsciousness due to the violent shaking that she suffered at the hands of Travis the chimp. It was thought that she may have suffered brain injuries similar to those associated with shaken baby syndrome, but miraculously, she regained consciousness and slowly but surely, she reclaimed her mental capacities.

Incredibly, the severity of Charlie Nash's injuries haven't dampened her lively spirit. Her twin brother explained, "She's so motivated. She's up to four walks a day now, but this morning, she couldn't take her walk [because she was scheduled for a surgical procedure]. So you know what she did? She got up and marched in place!"

Chimp Attack Survivor Considers Face Transplant, Prosthesis

As Charla Nash continues her recovery from the animal attack that changed her life, she remains at the Cleveland Clinic and for good reason: it's one of the few hospitals in the world where she can receive a face transplant.

"Right now, we have two options on the table: prosthetics or a face transplant...It's completely Charlie's decision as to whether she wants to use prosthetics or pursue a face transplant. A face transplant is a lifelong commitment and the doctors are really challenging her to see if she's committed," Nash said, adding, "[I think] My sister would be a good candidate for a face transplant. She's healthy, she's strong, she's self motivated. She doesn't need to be told to exercise – she does it on her own. She takes all her medications – even when it hurts her, she takes them...She's a survivor and a fighter. This is a woman who drove herself to the hospital to have her baby – and on the way, she stopped at KMart to get some supplies. She amazes me, but I'm not surprised. Never surprised."

Donations for Charla Nash and Updates From the Nash Family

Due to the nature of her injuries, Charlie Nash will require care for the rest of her life. To help, her family has established The Charla Nash Trust; donations are accepted online or by mail.

Friends, family and well-wishers can read about Charla Nash's progress on The Friends of Charlie Nash blog, which also enables visitors to send an email or audio message to Charla.

Notably, Charla Nash will make her first public appearance since the attack on Oprah. The chimp attack victim will discuss her recovery on the Oprah show on November 11, 2009.

The copyright of the article CT Chimp Attack Victim Continues Her Recovery in General Medicine is owned by Mia Carter. Permission to republish CT Chimp Attack Victim Continues Her Recovery in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Chimp Attack Survivor Charla Nash

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Dec 10, 2009 9:08 PM

Guest :

I admire her courage and fortitude. I hope she can have a transplant.The reason i say this is because people can be so cruel.I am a health care professional retired. The injuries she suffered would have killed a lesser person.She deserves any good things she can get. And i am glad her family is so wonderful.I know if it was my sister i would feel like her brother does.I hope more laws are passed against having wild animals for household pets.I think he should be put in a wild life sompound or a zoo. This may help make more people aware of the dangers of trying to make a wild animal a pet.

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