Help keeps coming for a three year old girl who was mauled by three of her grandfather's dogs early this year. Last month, Victoria Wilcher who sustained serious injuries in her nose, jaw and cheek bones and lost her right eye as a result of the incident, received an offer from Las Vegas plastic surgeon Frank Stile for a free surgery and a pledge for support that would help cover the cost of her care.
This week, Victoria will meet with another good-hearted fellow who wants to give the little girl a new eye. Raymond Peters, an ocularist in Naples, Florida, who has made and manipulated prosthetic eyes for 50 years, has volunteered his service to make a prosthetic eye for Victoria.
Peters will create a mold for Victoria's custom-fitted eye, which will be attached by Stile in a later surgery, and will hand paint the artificial eye's iris to match Victoria's eye color. The cost of a prosthetic eye ranges from $2,500-$4,500 but Victoria will receive hers for free.
Peters, who also provided travel accommodations so Victoria could visit his office, will spend five days to assess Victoria and make an artificial eye for her. Although he acknowledged that he is not yet sure if providing the little girl with an artificial eye would be a feasible option, Peter said he finds it worth trying.
"I will help her as long as I am able," Peters said. "We don't want this child to walk in the shadows."
Peters said that prosthetics can make people such as Victoria whole again, allowing them to mingle with other people without hanging their heads. He likewise said Victoria will require a few fittings per year because children are growing and their faces are likely to become distorted if the molds do not catch up with the pace of their growth.
Victoria gained national attention after her grandmother Kelly Mullins posted an incident that she said happened to her and Victoria while visiting a KFC restaurant. She said that an employee asked them to leave because Victoria's scarred face is disturbing other customers. The truth of the story, however, is currently being questioned as two separate investigations found no proof that Victoria and her grandmother was asked to leave the restaurant.
Peters is aware of the controversy but said he does not care about this as all he wanted is to help the girl.
