The city of Coppell is coming collectively for a North Texas faculty pupil whose story of tolerating and surviving a canine assault has caught nationwide consideration.
Jacqueline Durand, 22, has undergone 16 surgical procedures since being attacked by two canines in December. The incident left her “permanently and catastrophically disfigured”, in line with a lawsuit filed afterwards states.
“I often either have nightmares or just random thoughts,” Durand stated Saturday. “It doesn’t go away, but I am going through therapy. So, that’s helping. It’s okay to need help. I also want to just say that therapy is not scary, because it’s something everybody can use. Whether it’s PTSD or anxiety or depression.”
On Saturday, a drive-thru fundraiser organized by her household’s neighbor John Campbell was held at Andy Brown Park Central. Proceeds from the meals bought will likely be donated to Durand’s household.
Campbell stated previous to the December incident, he didn’t know the Durands effectively however felt compelled to assist after studying about what occurred. The fundraiser initially began as a small group fundraiser throughout the neighborhood, he stated.
“Honestly, I feel like God cleared my schedule for this. I haven’t had anything to do for work for about a month and it allowed us to really sink into this to put it together and to do something good for the community,” he stated. “The whole community pulled together for this. It’s really amazing. To know how excited she [Jacqueline] was when this happened was its own reward. It’s amazing.”
Jacqueline’s father John stated medical doctors count on reconstructive surgical procedures to take about three years to finish.
“When we didn’t know whether Jacqueline would survive or not, we were trying to figure out as a family how we would be strong for her,” he stated. “When she came out of the coma and started to awaken and be present, we realized that she is being strong for us.”
Jacqueline’s most up-to-date surgical procedure was on Tuesday for her nostril. Healing is a day-to-day course of, she stated.
“I’m okay. Every surgery is a struggle. I’m trying to recuperate every time that I go through a surgery,” she stated. (*5*)
While the overall timeframe for reconstructive surgical procedures will take about three years, the Durand household says it’s unclear precisely what number of surgical procedures Jacqueline will want.
