A professional skateboarder and model, Brooklinn Khoury, was making a name for herself online before her face was ripped off by a pitbull while visiting family in November 2020. She was set to film her first television commercial, but the attack changed all of that.
The incident happened in Gilbert, Arizona, where the 23-year-old was spending time with her cousin and her pet pit bull. The dog had a friendly encounter with Khoury before the attack, but it all turned around when it lunged at her.
After the attack, she was rushed to the hospital and stayed there for three days. When she came out, her cousin told her she was missing her top lip. She realised that she had lost her upper lip as well as parts of her nose and eyes.
She was told she would have to have a number of reconstructive surgeries and a year after the attack, she had already undergone six procedures to help rebuild her face.
Throughout her recovery, she has shared a series of progression photos with her fans on social media to show how her face has changed. She recalled how scary the experience had been and how she’d struggled to look in the mirror.
But the attacks had taught her to love herself inside and out regardless of what people had to say about her. She vowed to continue to skateboard and surf, even if her face was different.
As a result, she is now more confident in the public eye. She’s also made it her mission to share a message of hope and encouragement with her fans, telling them that “it’s never too late to find your strength”.
One of the most important lessons she learned was to “truly love herself”. As she put it, “it is so hard to look in the mirror when you aren’t happy with how you look — but you can always change yourself, so you should never stop trying”.
After her attack, she decided to start posting on her Instagram account, documenting her journey back from the brink of disaster. She posted pictures of airborne skate tricks, a hand covering her mouth and the words “LA hug someone you love today”.
The young talent has amassed more than 124k followers on Instagram. She is also a YouTube star with nearly 35,000 subscribers.
Brooklinn has also founded a skating shop in Los Angeles, named Brooklyn Projects, and has collaborated with brands like Rastaclat and Millennium Boards.
In addition to her personal Instagram, she has also created a line of clothing and jewelry called ‘Hug Someone You Love Today’. She has also released her debut single in 2022.
A professional skateboarder and model, Brooklinn was making a name for herself online before she was attacked by a pitbull while visiting family in Arizona. She was set to film her first television ad, but the attack changed all of that.
She was attacked by her cousin’s pitbull while spending time with her on Nov. 3, 2020, in Gilbert, Arizona. She had a friendly encounter with the dog before the attack, but it all turned around once it lunged at her.