The family of a seven-year-old girl mauled by dogs in Murupara on Monday want to thank the driver of a red car who helped get the little girl to hospital.
Japanese girl Sakurako Uehara is in a stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit at Middlemore Hospital following Monday's attackby four Staffordshire bull terriers, a team of doctors said this afternoon.
Sakurako was bitten more than 100 times, a team of doctors said this afternoon. Plastic surgeon Dr Zac Moaveni said the Sakurako was suffering from more than 100 bites to her face, limbs, and almost "every part of her body".
Sakurako was conscious throughout the "horrific and sustained" attack, and now faces years of operations which will involve the transfer of tissue from other parts of her body. Medical staff were finding it tough and were disturbed by the extent of the little girl's injuries, Dr Moaveni said.
Sakurako's family said in a statement they were grateful for the support they had received since the attack, especially from medical staff. They were taking things "one day at a time".
"We are a small family with one daughter Sakurako, from a small island in the south of Japan.
"We would really like to thank the driver of a red car who assisted us at the time of the accident and helped us get our little girl to the medical centre in Murupara. We don't know what to expect in the coming weeks, and months.
"We have a long journey ahead, we simply wish to take things one day at a time."
