Seven-month-old baby is left brain damaged after suffering horrific injuries when two pit bulls savaged him biting his face, head and torso after babysitter ‘left him with someone else to run errands’
- Baby sitter looking after seven-month-old Semaj ‘left him with her daugher’
- When she opened their cellar door the pit bulls escaped and went for the baby
- He suffered a broken nose, fractured skull and loss of previous motor skills
- Warning: This article contains graphic content
A seven-month-old baby has been left with horrendous injuries after he was mauled by two pit bulls while in the care of a baby sitter.
According to his grandfather, Dajuane Goode, 46, the babysitter left Semaj, from Washington DC, with her daughter while she ran errands.
Dajuane said that Semaj was in the babysitter’s house when her daughter opened their cellar door, which led to the pit bulls escaping and going straight for the little boy, who was in his walker, biting his head face and torso.
Pictured: Semaj with his mother Derica in hospital. According to the baby’s grandfather, Semaj suffered a broken nose, fractured skull, lacerations to his face and torso, and loss of previous motor skills
According to Dajuane, the baby suffered a broken nose, fractured skull, lacerations to his face and torso, and loss of previous motor skills.
He will have future brain damage and is currently unable to breathe on his own.
The two dogs were reportedly owned by the babysitter’s boyfriend but have both now been seied ad euthanized.
Pictured: Semaj with his grandfather Dajuane Goode in hospital. Although he has a ‘long road to recovery’, Dajuane says he and his family are trying to stay positive
After the attack, Semaj was rushed straight to ICU where ‘life-saving methods’ were used, but his injuries were severe.
His heartbroken mom Derica, 25, said: ‘When I arrived at the hospital, they told me that Semaj’s heart had stopped beating and he was out for about 20 to 30 minutes.
‘They had to resuscitate him and had to do three sets of reps to bring him back to life.’
She added: ‘Whilst in the ER, they said he might not make it. They also stated that he lost a lot of blood and that his little heart may stop again.
‘I will never leave Semaj’s side – I have been with him since the day of the incident.’
Dajuane said that the family had used the babysitter before, so they had no reason to be cautious.
However, they have not spoken to her since the shocking incident.
Semaj’s mom Derica said: ‘When I arrived at the hospital, they told me that Semaj’s heart had stopped beating and he was out for about 20 to 30 minutes’
On November 17, Semaj was moved from the ICU.
Although he has a ‘long road to recovery’, Dajuane said he and his family are trying to stay positive.
He said: ‘Domica is going through a whirlwind of emotions – one minute she blames herself, saying she failed to protect her son. Another minute she’s angry at the negligence of the dog’s owner. But all in all, she is so grateful that we still have Semaj here with us.’
The family shared photos of the baby smiling in a Halloween costume just days before the attack on November 3 last month.
They family have now set up a GoFundMe page to cover medical bills, with more than $11,000 raised so far and are advocating for the introduction of a ‘Large Dog Act Semaj Bill’ in the US.
The family shared photos of the baby smiling in his Halloween costume just days before the dog attack
Dajuane said the bill will require large dog owners to have their pet evaluated annually by a licensed veterinarian to determine if it is deemed aggressive.
If it is found to be aggressive, proper training and measures will be put in place to ensure the safety of the public and the dog’s owner.
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