On November 7, Delyla McCay, along with her 13-year-old sister McKenzie, was waiting on the steps of their apartment in Hanceville to be picked up by their dad when the unthinkable happened. A dog, believed to be a blue heeler, grabbed Delyla’s face in a terrifying attack.
According to local news outlet WHNT, the dog was being walked by a child who got scared and dropped its leash, causing the attack. When another teenager attempted to pull the dog off Delyla, it went after her a second time, Cleveland 19 News reported.
Delyla was airlifted to a children’s hospital due to the severe injuries to her face. Her mother, Katie McCay, set up a GoFundMe to help with the medical costs, sharing the details of the traumatic event. “McKenzie said afterwards, everybody was just screaming. Delyla actually wasn’t screaming. She was in shock,” Katie told Cleveland 19 News.
Photos from the GoFundMe page show Delyla’s face covered in bruises, swelling, and blood, with stitches around her nose, mouth, and cheeks. Katie shared that her daughter will need plastic surgery and rabies shots as part of her recovery.
Despite having insurance, the McCay family has faced heavy expenses, with Katie saying they spent $300 just on co-pays over the weekend. She also mentioned that the helicopter ride, plastic surgery appointment, and follow-up visits for rabies shots have added to the financial burden.
“With me having insurance for her, I figured we’d be okay, but in co-pays alone over the weekend, we’ve spent $300,” she wrote. “That’s not including what’s coming for the helicopter ride, the plastic surgeon appointment on Thursday, and the general surgeon appointment on Friday, on top of the ER visits for her rabies shots because only the ER carries it.”
The emotional toll on the family has been heavy. Katie mentioned the difficulties in helping her daughter recover. “Her dad’s had to get her a special shower head, a water flosser to rinse her mouth because her top lip is detached,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page. The fundraising effort has raised $8,600 so far to assist with the hospital and recovery costs.
The incident has been reported to Cullman County Animal Control (CCAC), with Katie sharing that she’s never experienced anything like this before. “I’ve never dealt with nothing like that in my life, and I just wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” she told Cleveland 19 News. “…There’s a lot of people that ask, ‘What was she doing to the dog? Was it provoked?’ My kid was just sitting there.”
The attack has left the family shaken, but Delyla is now focused on her recovery with the support of her loved ones.