ROYAL OAK, Mich. – In 2002, 3-month-old Charlotte Ponce was attacked by a pet raccoon while laying in her crib.
The raccoon destroyed her right ear, nose and part of her cheek.
Charlotte has been through many surgeries, but this next one will help her live a more normal life.
Dr. Kongkrit Chaiyasate, a Beaumont plastic surgeon, will perform a 6-to-7-hour procedure on Charlotte so she can receive a new ear.
"As a plastic surgeon you need to think outside the box a little bit," Chaiyasate said.
Chaiyasate says he will take a piece of Charlotte's cartilage from her ribs and carve it into the shape of her ear. Then he will implant the structure under the skin of her forearm and in the next 8 weeks the skin will mold to the shape of her ear.
In June, Chaiyasate will transplant the ear to the right side of her head.
This procedure has only been done twice anywhere and Charlotte is an inspiration to people everywhere.