Little Girl Fights For Survival After Pit-Bull Attack

A little girl continues to fight for life while her family, friends and even strangers continue to pray. On Wednesday doctors performed more surgery on eight-year-old Faith Guelde after a pit-bull attacked her several days ago.

Faith's grandmother says she's conscious but very, very critical. She says right now they're just hoping to save her right arm and then plan for a long road to recovery.

A picture taken at the hospital shows eight-year-old Faith Guelde wearing a pink and purple crown and offering a bright smile during a gloomy situation.

"She was actually smiling at us, we all lined up out there in the hallway, told her she was our hero," Faith's grandmother, Jodi Copus, says.

On Friday Faith's dog escaped from her families property. When she found the pet, it was fighting with a pit-bull in her neighbor's yard. Copus says Faith then tried to grab her dog but that's when the pit-bull attacked.

"She did tell me, Grandma I'd bit the dog in the neck hoping he'd stop but he kept on chewing me," Copus says.

Faith sustained critical injuries and had to be flown by Life Force to T.C. Thompson in Chattanooga. Her grandmother says she's endured forty hours of surgery since then.

"It's horrible, it's absolutely horrible," Copus says. "And she just cries she just wants to go home."

But through the pain Faith has shown signs of life. Her grandmother says Faith was chipper on Wednesday and even asked family members to take her picture.

"I think she's just trying to figure out how many body parts she has. Last night it was her legs she wants to get up and walk to see if her legs work," her grandmother says.

Those might have been the first steps forward for a princess who woke up in a nightmare that may last for months to come.

"And I just want to thank everybody for all of there prayers and phone calls, we've just had phone calls unbelievable," Copus says.

Faith's family says she will need more surgeries in the future and they're not sure what her insurance will cover. A fund has been set up to help pay for some of her medical expenses. If you would like to help, you can make a donation at any SunTrust Bank in the Tennessee Valley. All you have to do is make a donation out to the Faith Guelde Benefit Fund.

The family also says they want to try to get a leash law on the books on Lookout Mountain to help make sure this doesn't happen again.