Fatal Dog Attack: Minnesota Toddler’s Heart Saves Baby Girl
This is the most beautiful thing to come from this tragedy and we couldn’t be happier that his heart was able to save someone
On the afternoon of July 19, Tasha Allen and her two boys, 3-year-old Covil and older brother Christian, were in the backyard of a home to pick out a puppy when the puppy's parents, two XL Bully dogs, began to attack Covil, according to Fox 9.
Tasha immediately jumped in to save her child.
The Brooklyn Park Police Department responded to the attack on Brooklyn Park Drive and by the time officers and an ambulance arrived, Covil had already been separated from the dogs and life-saving measures were being attempted.
To remove Covil from the backyard safely, several officers discharged their firearms, resulting in the death of one dog and the wounding of the other.
Covil was then transported to Hennepin County Medical Center where medical personnel listed the boy's condition as critical.
Covil reportedly suffered a fractured skull, jaw, collarbone, vertebrae, and a punctured lung. Tasha was bitten on her calf and required several surgeries and skin grafts to repair the damage.
"It was the worst day of my life," Tasha told Fox 9. "The dog had his whole head in his mouth."
After multiple surgeries, medical staff were unable to save Covil. On July 24, the Allen family announced they had begun the process of donating his organs.
On July 30, Covil was able to donate his heart, which went to save the life of a one-year-old girl.
"This is the most beautiful thing to come from this tragedy and we couldn’t be happier that his heart was able to save someone," family friend Lindsey Hemmerich said in an update on the GoFundMe page for the Allen family.
The evening prior, an honor walk was held, commemorating Covil's organ donation.
A photo posted to the GoFundMe page shows officers from the Brooklyn Park Police Department who were instrumental in rescuing Covil and providing immediate assistance. One officer, seen holding Christian, is recognized as the one who carried him to safety during the dog attack.
As of July 31, The GoFundMe page in support of the Allen family has raised nearly $65,000 of the $150,000 goal.
An investigation into the attack is still being conducted and is expected to be finished by the end of the week.
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Gallery Credit: Sabienna Bowman