Victoria Wilcher — the 3-year-old Mississippi girl whose family claimed was asked to leave KFC because of her appearance — will be fitted for a prosthetic eye.
Victoria, who lost sight in her right eye and was left with severe facial scars after a pit bull attack, will meet with Raymond Peters, an ocularist who hopes to outfit her with a prosthetic eye this week at his office in Naples, Florida.
An ocularist is a trained technician who makes prosthetic eyes.
Peters said he doesn’t care about the controversy surrounding what her family said happened to her at KFC. He just wants to help a child in need.
“That’s another world as far as I am concerned. That’s not going to affect me with how I help the child,” he said of the KFC incident. “I am focused on this child, and if that did happen, it’s sad because it is a double tragedy for the child.”
Victoria’s grandmother, Kelly Mullins, took to Facebook last month to tell a story about how Victoria, who wears an eye patch and eats through a tube, was told to leave a KFC in Mississippi because her appearance was disturbing to other patrons.
The story went viral. Online fundraising campaigns brought in thousands, including $30,000 and an apology from KFC.
But veracity of the story has since been called into question. A pair of investigations found no proof she was ever asked to leave KFC and a local newspaper also cast doubt on the family’s story.
Both Peters, who has donated his services and assisted with travel accommodations, and Mullins spoke to CNN Sunday about Victoria’s road to recovery .
“She don’t have an eye socket and no cheekbone,” said Mullins. “We had to put her back in diapers because of the wounds on her legs. She can’t pull things up and down on them. The wounds will bleed, and she screams bloody murder.”
Not knowing the full extent of the damage, Peters said he is not even sure if an artificial eye is a feasible option. But that is not going to stop him from trying.
“I will help her as long as I am able,” he said. “We don’t want this child to walk in the shadows.”
Despite saying it hadn’t found proof that one of its restaurants mistreated the girl or her grandmother, KFC said it will still honor its commitment to donate $30,000 to assist with Victoria’s medical bills.
“We hope everyone keeps Victoria in their thoughts and prayers,” the chain said in a statement last month. “She will certainly be in ours.”