Man attacked by his dog during epileptic seizure

Ben Horne, pictured before the attack, has undergone multiple major surgeries since suffering severe facial injuries

A 34-year-old man is raising funds for charity after suffering severe facial injuries when his dog attacked him during an epileptic seizure.

In 2019, Ben Horne, from Yeovil, had a seizure in his sleep which caused his pet to panic and bite off his nose, as well as parts of his mouth and chin.

Since the initial emergency operation, he has undergone 10 major surgeries, using bones from his ribs and skin from his forearm and forehead to reconstruct his nose.

Mr Horne will participate in two Tough Mudders and two 50km races to raise funds for Epilepsy Action and the plastic surgery team at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

'My best friend'

Mr Horne was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 15-years-old and began to have seizures in his sleep five years ago.

It was during one of these seizures that his 10-year-old dog, Henry, became distressed and bit his face.

"I'd had my dog for 10 years as a puppy and he's my best friend," Mr Horne told BBC Radio Somerset.

"It's just a very unfortunate situation. It's very difficult to then look in the mirror and see something totally different. It's so upsetting."

After the incident, Henry was taken away to be assessed by the police and, after experts deemed him safe for rehoming, he went to live with a retired couple.

"They fell in love with him and knew all about what had happened," said Mr Horne.

"I've got two cats for company but probably won’t have a dog again anytime soon."

He said he "felt guilty" for a long time and did not want to "risk it happening again".

'Something bad had happened'

Mr Horne said at first he did not realise how much damage had been done.

"When you come round from a seizure you're very confused. You're not really sure where you are or what's going on," he said.

"I was trying to take in the fact that there was a lot of blood around me. I couldn't really talk. I knew something bad had happened but it wasn't clear exactly how bad it was."

He did not want to wear a prosthetic so chose reconstructive surgery but after initial operations at Southmead Hospital in Bristol his surgeon retired from the NHS to go private, leaving Mr Horne "devastated".

He said he had already suffered significant delays in his treatment because of Covid and felt like giving up before the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital stepped in.

Mr Horne, in a recent photograph, said he is now coming to terms with his "new normal"

"It's been a long five years. Around that time, Covid was going on and a lot of things were pushed back," Mr Horne said.

"It's a very speciality thing, there's not many surgeons who do it.

"The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital took over, and they've been absolutely phenomenal.

"It's very difficult. Trying to come to terms with how things are and trying to let go of how things used to be and come to terms with the new normal.

"I wanted to try and give back in some little way," he added.

Mr Horne said he hopes that by sharing his story he can offer support to others in similar situations and to raise money to thank all those who have helped him.

He is taking part in the South West Coast Ultra Challenge and the Thames Path Ultra Challenge, as well as Tough Mudder events in the south west and Birmingham in August and September.

So far, he has raised nearly £1,500.