Ronald Poppo is a survivor.
The homeless man whose face chewed off by naked "Miami zombie" assailant Rudy Eugene, is awake and alert and doing well, according to doctors.
That said, he will require more surgery, and his face is still in such a state that we cannot even post the newly-released, graphic picture of it here.
Jackson Memorial Hospital released pictures of him with his permission Tuesday. Follow this link to see a photo of Ronald Poppo's face after the attack.
Poppo's horrific injuries, roughly three weeks after the shocking assault on Miami's MacArthur causeway, show one of his eyes is covered by gauze.
The other, lost to the attack, is covered by skin. His nose is missing, and his forehead is a mass of scabs. The lower half of Poppo's face appears intact.
Poppo, who has been homeless in Miami since the '70s, is covered by Medicare and Medicaid. A fund set up to assist Poppo has also raised $15,000.
Doctors said the "extremely charming" 65-year-old man remembers the attack, understands that he is in hospital, and is aware of media coverage.
The out-of-control Rudy Eugene, 31, was believed to have been on bath salts and was killed by police before he could eat Poppo alive last month.
The medical team's primary goal to date has been to clean and close Poppo's wounds, but the patient's psychological response is a concern as well.
"In addition to [surgery], we have mental health professionals to help him with the coping; he's doing remarkably well," a hospital spokesperson said.
The AP says Poppo, who loves Italian food and can't wait to go swimming, prefers quiet and keeps his TV off ... except during Miami Heat games.
0 comments:
Post a Comment