A WOMAN who had her nose bitten off by a dog as a toddler has won £50k in compensation – and is spending it on a pooch of her own.
Ellie Stephenson, 20, was attacked by an Alsatian when she curiously stuck her head through a hole in a fence when she was just four years old.
Her mum Lorraine spotted her tiny nose lying in the neighbour’s backyard and hooked it out with a coat hanger.
They placed it in frozen mincemeat in a bid to save it, as nurses told the four-year-old: “Don’t stand up in case your nose drops off.”
Surgeons sewed the rescued nose back on during an eight-hour operation.
Her family faced an agonising wait to see if it was successful and little Ellie needed three more ops to stop it drooping and to try and even out her nostrils because the right one was far bigger than the left.
But even after this distressing ordeal, nursery assistant Ellie, of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, has now used some of her payout on a black Labrador puppy called Max.
She said: “It sounds crazy as it was so frightening, but the attack never put me off dogs.
“I wasn’t scared of them afterwards and as soon as I got this compensation I knew I wanted a puppy.
“Max is adorable and very well behaved.”
The now 20-year-old has also put down a £25k deposit on a three-bedroom house and is buying a Vauxhall Corsa.
She is keeping the remainder of the cash to buy herself a new nose when she is older and wants to get married.
Ellie said: “My nose is scarred and the right nostril is bigger than the other.
“And it’s numb on the end where it was reattached.”
She added: “I needed some other things first. I’ll get a new nose in a few years when I’m 25 or getting married as I don’t want to walk down the aisle looking like this.”
Growing up, Ellie covered up her scars with concealer and make-up and would hold her hand over her nose if a boy she fancied walked past.
She met boyfriend Tom when they were both 15 and he told her: “You’re beautiful.”
Ellie got her compensation three months ago.
Her parents started the claim – against their neighbour who owned the dog – when it happened.
But the money could not be paid to her until she turned 18.
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