Kevin Hanson shows his injury. - Contributed

While playing football in December 2007, 10-year-old Kevin Hanson was attacked by a Rottweiler that pinned him to the ground and sank it's teeth into his head. A little over a year later, the emotional and physical pain is still fresh and little Kevin and his family are trapped in what seems like a nightmare.

The dog, which escaped from a nearby yard in their community of Love Lane, Ewarton, St Catherine, removed a portion of the boy's scalp during the attack, forcing Kevin to wear an uncomfortable headdress.

The injury has also left him in need of surgery which needs to be done overseas at a cost of $400,000. His family cannot afford this. Since the incident, he has become very withdrawn, even refusing to talk to us for this story, and he does not even want to play.

Kevin's father, Lyndon Hudson, returned home on the day of the incident to learn that his son had been attacked and since then he and his family have been living in turmoil.

Painful experience

Hudson is haunted even more by the knowledge that a piece of his son's scalp is buried in their yard. "When I saw the piece of his scalp that was bitten off by the dog, I had to bury it and that alone was a very painful experience, so you can just imagine what Kevin must have felt."

Kevin's family is desperate to get him the help he needs, but according to his father, they cannot afford it and have received no help so far.

When THE STAR contacted Kevin's school, Pollyground Primary in St Catherine, Principal Beverly Jobson-Grant said that even though Kevin missed at least five months of school after the incident, it is hoped that he will get the 70 per cent average needed to take him to high school.

She also said the school is working hard to help him. "Hanson is a bright child," she said, "but staying out of school, for so long has hampered his progress somewhat. He has got reticent and even reflective since his return to school, so we all feel for him and hope everything works well."

Attorney-at-law Georgette Scott said that the Hanson family will be seeking redress. "This child suffered emotionally and physically and no amount of money can fully compensate him, so when we start it is only justice that we will be after."

In the meanwhile, the police have acknowledged that they received a report on the matter.