Brooklinn Koury is a pro skateboarder and model who had to face what could probably be the worst fate ever. She visited her cousin in Gilbert, Arizona, in early November 2020 for a pleasant trip packed with girl time and pool time. Khoury was standing in the kitchen at her cousin's house when she went to pet her cousin's dog, an 8-year-old blue-nose pit bull named Diesel, whom she had met before.
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Unfortunately, the dog bit her on the lips, which made her lose her upper lip. When the dog released his grip, she noticed a pink lump on the floor and wrapped it in a napkin, and rushed to the emergency with her cousin. However, despite their fast response, the surgeons were unable to salvage Khoury's upper lip.
Getting back stronger and better
She tweeted a selfie from her hospital bed later that week and urged people to hug somebody they love. She wanted to film every step of her recovery because she always portrayed the good and bad in her skateboarding posts as well, including falls. She told her followers:
Life is not perfect. Instagram is a place where people can hide who they really are.
She, on the other hand, refuses to do so, believing that in life, like in skating, you learn from your mistakes. Khoury admits seeing her face for the first time after the surgery was scary. However, she continued,
But I was like, 'Okay, time to love this new version of myself for now.' I want people to know that they're not alone if they're going through something like this.
I'm learning to love myself. I want to inspire as many people as I can.
The skateboarder, who likes pickles and overalls, has spent a lot of time this year attempting to be happy. She continues to surf, skate, and trek. Pickles, her dog, is one of her favourite companions. She also adopted a kitten named Lady with her girlfriend, Chloé Lukasiak.
Love like no other
Lukasiak and she had only met a few days before her attack. They met for coffee at Starbucks and then carved pumpkins together. Khoury remembers falling hard for her and said,
I was like, "What if she doesn't think I'm pretty anymore?
Lukasiak has stood by her side and encouraged her, telling her every day how beautiful she is. Khoury recently underwent the first of five surgeries to restore her top lip. Her surgeon described the process as an artistic endeavour. Her arm was used to do the procedure, which included a skin graft and tissue transplant.
