Woman Mauled By Bear Home After Being Critically Injured In Vicious Attack
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Grandmother Karen Osborne is home from the hospital after being mauled by a bear outside of her home in Frederick one week ago.
She has no medical insurance and is providing new details about her ordeal in a fund- raising website.
Karen Osborne suffered a broken arm, a broken pelvis and several more lacerations from bites on her head, torso and legs.
Her family members say she will need four-to-six weeks of rehab at least, and are hoping to raise $200,000.
Her family says the bear initially bit her face, broke four of her teeth, chomped down on her left arm biting it in half. However, she was able to calmly call 911oh my god here he comes. He's getting ready to attack me again. Please tell my husband I love him.
"Oh my god here he comes. He's getting ready to attack me again. Please tell my husband I love him," she says on the phone to a 911 operator.
They say this on their GoFundMe page:
On Wednesday night, November 16, 2016, my sister Karen Osborne was ferociously attacked in her daughter's Frederick, MD driveway by a full grown female black bear who was protecting her nearby cubs. Karen endoured a 35 minute mauling by the bear. It came at her four separate times from three different directions. Initially the bear came at her from out of the dark in a standup position biting her on the left side of the face. That bite broke four of Karen's teeth. The bear then chomped down on her left arm, biting it in half, severing bones and tendons. From then on, it was a series of bites on the back of her head, torso and legs. Karen curled up in a ball on the driveway as the bear stood over her, waiting for her to make any sudden movements so to continue her attack. Finally she realized her cell phone was on the ground beneath her. With her good arm she tried time after time to dial 911 for help. Finally she got through, the whole time whispering to the dispatcher about the attack and her location. Police arrived on scene in about 10 minutes to which she was then transported to the closest trauma center. That night she underwent emergency surgery to repair her left arm. In addition she needed 78 stitches on the rest of her body to close some of the wounds. Later diagnosis found that she is suffering from a fractured pelvis leaving her unable to walk for the next several weeks. Karen spent 6 days in the hospital trauma center. She is now beginning her recovery at home with 24 hour care. After that she will need 4 to 6 weeks of rehab for the pelvis and broken arm injuries.
Many people have asked what they can do to help. Since my sister Karen does not currently have health insurance, we have started this fund raising page to assist with her accumulating medical bills. Karen and her husband Ron are both retired and on a fixed income.
We appreciate everyone's prayers and positive thoughts.
The Harding family lives less than a mile away from where Karen Osborne was attacked.
"You can see how crazy it is," said Gloria Harding, Frederick homeowner.
"It got its nose under the chicken coop and lifted it up," she said.
A black bear got into the Harding family's backyard this week.
"Definitely not coming out. We put the dog on the leash now at night to take him outside. He would've just chased it off, but then who know. Bear would've attacked him too," said Gloria Harding.
This is happening in people's backyards. Definitely, it is making us conscience of where the kids are, what they're doing, and making sure one of us is always around," said David Harding.
It's one of a growing number of bear sightings in suburban Maryland. DNR Officials say usually bears stay away from people, pointing out Osborne's mauling is the first in decades in the state.
Osbournes' GoFundMe account has raised more than $4000. She has a fractured pelvis, and it will likely be before the end of the year before she is out of rehab.
The bear that mauled Karen Osborne was euthanized, which is state policy after a bear attacks a person.
To donate to Karen Osborne's medical bills CLICK HERE.
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