In a remarkable display of medical ingenuity, a woman whose nose was completely bitten off by a dog is finally reclaiming her life after surgeons used skin from her forehead to construct a new one.
A Life-Changing Attack
In April 2022, Jordan Wilson, a 29-year-old stay-at-home mother from Pennsylvania, suffered a horrific attack. A family friend's Boerboel dog lunged for her face, latching onto her nose and refusing to let go. The force of the attack from the large breed dog was so extreme that it completely severed her entire nose, which was subsequently swallowed by the animal.
Jordan reflected on the traumatic event, suggesting the dog may not have been acting with pure aggression. "The reason I say it wasn't super aggressive is because this dog could have killed me," she explained. "If it had kept biting me, I'd be dead. All it did was latch onto my nose, and because the breed is so large and strong, it was able to do the amount of damage that it did."
The Long Road to Reconstruction
Since the attack, Jordan's life has been defined by a series of complex surgical procedures, totalling 16 operations to date. The pioneering technique used by her medical team involved a multi-stage process. Doctors first placed tissue expanders in her forehead, creating a bulbous appearance for a period. This allowed them to later harvest a skin graft, complete with its own blood supply, to form the basis of her new nose.
This innovative method led to some unusual sensations during the healing process. "When the nerve cells were still attached, Jordan could feel a sensation in her forehead whenever she would touch her new nose," though this connection has since been severed. Subsequent surgeries have focused on thinning and refining the shape of her new nose to create a more natural appearance.
Finding Strength and Sharing Her Story
The psychological impact of the attack was profound. "Up until this year, I had a really hard time going out in public, thinking people were wondering why I look the way I look," Jordan admitted. While she confesses, "I don't think I'm ever going to feel completely like myself," she has found solace in the support of her community and the positive comments from friends and family who say she is starting to look like herself again.
Her brother-in-law, who owned the dog, has taken financial responsibility, covering her health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. Despite the ordeal, Jordan remains an animal lover, though she is now more vigilant, especially when her children are near dogs. "When my kids are around dogs, I find myself even more protective and anxious than I am for myself," she added.
Jordan has chosen to share her surgical journey publicly on TikTok, where she has amassed over 135,000 followers. She uses the platform to bring awareness and comfort to others facing similar challenges with facial trauma. "Through all of this – while it's been incredibly hard and I still have days where I ask 'why did this happen?' – I do my best to find meaning and turn it into something positive," she said.
Her new nose is not just for show; it functions well, with Jordan even reporting to her followers that she gets snot as normal. However, she notes she can't pick her nose due to the thick cartilage and thin nostrils. She describes ongoing strange sensations in her head, "kind of like when your foot falls asleep: that mix of numbness and pain."
With approximately three more surgeries planned to refine the shape of her nose, Jordan Wilson's journey of recovery continues, a powerful testament to modern medicine and human resilience.
