Pit bull victim home for Thanksgiving

Two months and five surgeries after she was mauled by pit bulls, Shashi Sharma is going home.

The petite real estate agent from North Merrick looked tired but elated as she was wheeled into a room at Nassau University Medical Center before a phalanx of news cameras Tuesday.

Thanking the hundred or so medical staffers who assisted in her recovery "from the bottom of my heart," Sharma, 62, said she's getting better every day.

"I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving," she said.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Louis Riina said Sharma faces at least one more surgery but he expects an almost full recovery.

Walking near her home the morning of Sept. 29, Sharma was knocked down by two pit bulls that were running loose. She was able to call 911 during the attack.

The mauling caused extensive damage to all limbs, especially her left arm. Riina said the injuries were among the worst he's ever seen.

One of the pit bulls was shot and killed the day of the attack; the second was killed several weeks later, according to a Nassau County Police Department spokeswoman. The dogs' owner has never been identified.

Trained as an obstetrician-gynecologist in her native India, Sharma knows something about the medical expertise required to repair her wounds. So does her husband, Dr. Mukesh Sharma, an internist at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside.

For her first surgery, four teams of doctors -- each assigned a limb -- worked to repair damage to skin, fat, muscle, nerves and tendons. Her left arm from the wrist to her biceps was missing skin and underlying tissue.

Four more surgeries followed, then weeks of physical and occupational therapy. Although Sharma appeared in a wheelchair Tuesday, she's able to walk with the aid of a walker.

As she gains more strength, Riina said he anticipated she will walk normally. A final surgery in a few weeks will "fine-tune" areas that remain open wounds, Riina said.

Sharma's son, Suraj, 23, an economist at an insurance company, said the recovery reflects his mother's courage and determination. "She's a very, very strong woman," he said.

Asked about the family's plans for the holiday, he said, "Obviously, she's not cooking."

But he said the fact that she'll be home already makes it "an extra special Thanksgiving."