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Handout / Reuters
Ronald Poppo, 65, is seen in a photo released by the Miami-Dade Police Department in May.
MIAMI -- The Miami doctors who have been caring for the homeless man whose face was mauled off by another man over Memorial Day weekend said Tuesday that he is awake and talking but cannot see and will need multiple surgeries.
Ronald Poppo has been recovering at Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center since the May 26 attack along the MacArthur Causeway.
Video of the news conference where doctors discussed Poppo's condition
"I'm very pleased to say Mr. Poppo is doing very well today," Ryder's Chief of Trauma Dr. Nicholas Namias said during a news conference Tuesday. "He is eating, he is talking with us."
Poppo was rushed to the hospital after he was attacked by 31-year-old Rudy Eugene, who tore off and chewed most of the 65-year-old's face, authorities said.
Surgeon Wrood Kassira said Poppo's left eye was "essentially destroyed" and had to be removed, and his right eye has been covered with a flap of his own tissue in an attempt to salvage it. He can't see as of now but there is some hope that he may recover some vision, Kassira said.
"He is missing features that identified who he was before this trauma," Kassira said, adding that Poppo is missing a significant part of his nose and has undergone three surgeries to clean and close wounds. "He will need multiple surgeries in the future for reconstruction."
Read the original report at NBCMiami.com
About 50 percent of his face, including his forehead and cheek, were affected and he has an infection, brain injury and a puncture wound to his chest, Namias said.
"We see all sorts of awful wounds," Namias said. "The guy has got to be a survivor."
Namias said Poppo remembers the attack and has spoken with nurses about it but is coping remarkably well and is upbeat and pleasant. He is also getting help from mental health professionals and social workers.
Doctors said it is unknown how long he'll be in the hospital.
Eugene was fatally shot by an officer after he refused to stop the savage attack on Poppo, police said. Witnesses said a naked Eugene was throwing his clothes into traffic and swinging from a light pole shortly before the attack.
Though officials have speculated that the use of bath salts as a drug may have sparked Eugene's wild behavior, it remains unknown what prompted the attack.
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Officials said an autopsy report for Eugene would not be released to the public until the investigation into the shooting concludes - a process that could take more than a year.
Jackson Memorial Hospital has set up a fund to assist Poppo and anyone interested in contributing can visit www.jmf.org.
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Leave a Comment:
Nom, nom, nom...
I hope Mr. Poppo's recovery goes as well as possible.
This guy's medical care will be in excess of $1 million dollars. He will be in long term care and rehab for years. I hope he fully recovers and gets back on his feet. Maybe the doctors will donate their time to fixing his face. What a terrible situation to be put through. The streets of Miami are a very unsafe place to be.
Thoughts and prayers for this man. I am glad to hear he is even doing fairly well at this point. What an awful thing to go through! Thanks to the good doctors and nurses taking care of this poor man.
Well once he gets outta the hospital, I hope he will be able to find another cardboard shack to live in....
I wonder if we can friend this guy on FACEBOOK?
Nope, not on Facebook. Look for him on MySpace, as in the Space where my nose, eyes and forehead used to be.
He can always get a job as a circus freak.....
LOL! What would his stage name be?
I couldn't have said it better myself!
Do you think this guy and all the homeless and other people suffering from the lack of health care think, america is the greatest country in the world ??
What a stinky country !! How many millions do you have living on your streets ?? it is becoming more and more like india, don't you think ??
Don't you think it's time for nasty republican to let President Obama and the democrats work for the people ??? This poverty in one of the richest country is just an abomination and outrageous ! Don't you, people ashamed of the society you live in ?
I know, we see the same as you do. We are no longer free in this country, there are no walls to show it but it's there. One can "feel" it. Sad. I wonder what our forefathers would have to say if they could come back and look at the shape we're in but all that will change. Change is inevitable but I get your point, yes indeed.
You are so right poodlefan,1 percent holding all the wealth,its really sad.
May he heal quickly, all the best we wish for him. As for the other "thing" that attacked him; there are no words.
wow...unbelievable story...poor man that was attacked...I will have to say a prayer for him...
You, republicans are some sickos ! How can such nasty humans exist ?
I hope someday, it will be your turn to be poor and alone ! Nerve forget, What goes around comes around !
Sounds like PCP to me
If your forefathers knew what has america become, they would be shocked. All this poverty is not what they had in mind and americans have forgotten.
The forefathers wanted social justice for all, they wanted the wealth to be shared by all, they wanted good health for all and freedom for all !
The dream is dead, republicans have destroyed the dream.
Wow, this is so wrong I don't even know where to start. If you can't do proper research about the birth of your nation, and the forefathers that constructed it, then your opinions are not very legitimate. Or at least, not well-informed...our forefathers did NOT want to spread the wealth and have it be "shared by all." Are you mad? Many of the forefathers were slave owners, all had property and mostly came from wealth, DENIED rights they enjoyed to other, namely women and minorities (including blacks) and had very little faith in the intellectual capacity of the everyman. Seriously, social justice for all? Freedom for all? Republicans did not destroy the dream. That's such an ignorant thing to say, I'm appalled. GREED destroyed the dream, if anything, though I don't believe shared wealth is the answer. And let me tell you, greed comes in all people, all shapes and sizes and political ideologies.
By the way, I challenge you to really LOOK at past failed states that attempted the shared-wealth thing. Generally, it doesn't end well. Sheesh.
I just realized you're French...that may explain your lack of knowledge about our country. Still, if blows me away that you seem so openly one-sided in your beliefs about Republicans. Politics, although presented as a dichotomous practice, is not truly a team sport. I would beg that most of the players in office are bad at their jobs, what with their lack of interest in their constituents' well-being, etc etc.
The man would have medicare or medicaid. I can't believe people would want him to be denied medical care. It was not his fault, I wish him well. I thought there was a program set up for medical for victims of crime.
I heard he tastes like chicken!
They market this stuff that way on the street that way they get people to believe it is safer than the chem stuff.Course anyone who puts faith in adrug dealer gets what they deserve anyway
This "Amped" bath salt stuff you can buy off the internet.
you happen to be lucky, I grabbed a @!$%# load before they banned them from shelves. I'm only charging $1 per crystal via Western Union the money first, then I will send you your order Okay?
For anyone saying anything other than I hope this man recovers should maybe get their face chewed off!! I am sure this man would much rather still be living under a bridge and not getting any "freebes" as one idiotic person posted rather than having no eyes, nose, mouth and whatever else was chewed off! People in this world make me sick with all their judgements . Who cares if he doesn't have health insurance. I am sure he wishes he was dead. I should would, so stop will all the BS comments and WISH HIM WELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok.. Once again.. Where's Al Sharpton through all of this?? Out drinkin Colt 45's with his buddies I suppose..
Why would al sharpton show up?He was homeless,the dudes family didnt even care about him so why should Al?Al Sharpton has money too,so i think he's drinking something more expensive than colt 45.Oh! you were being racist?I get now,good one.Lol,your mad at that brother because he's wealthier than you.I dont always agree with him but somebody has to speak up for us,right?
Mr. Poppo if someone happens to read to you some of the comments being left here....please don't think we are all insensitive and cruel. I can't believe that some of you actually think that Mr. Poppo's misfortune is a joke. Wow!! ....Mr. Poppo I truly wish you a speedy recovery and I am sooo sorry for what you went through and will continue to go through for the rest of your days. God Bless.
Better to give to help him than to give to other countries that hate us!
Why are the investigating the officers shooting for a year? Waste of time and money, hell, you could see he was eating the guys face and acting crazy, what is the cop supposed to do, call a social worker to arrange for the guy to see a counseler?
This man was attacked by someone out of mind. Did he ask for it? I don't think so. To all those who are griping be glad you were not the victim. How many people go to the emergency room to get free treatment when they can pay their own way. Think it is jealousy . Just be thankful you are not in the victims place.
Ill bet he wont raise half the money zimmerman did.I feel for him,thats f***** up to have your face eaten off.At least he's staying positive.
no one notices the big elephant standing in the room "the police shot this guy in the face" fragments of the bullet lunged into his chest and into his head! The more and more they talk, the more this story is starting to snowball.