Boy mauled in attack ready for return to normal life

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2002 | 11:12 a.m.

Michael Foley is ready to get back to being an 11-year-old boy, whose biggest decision is whether to spend Saturdays playing baseball or football.

Michael, who spent 19 days at University Medical Center after he was attacked by four Great Danes, returned home Monday.

"I'm really excited to get home and give my brother a hug," he said at UMC Monday. "It was hard to be here for so long, but prayer got me through."

Michael, who still has trouble moving freely because of the dog bites -- which cover his entire body -- left the hospital in a wheelchair that was guided by his mother Denise Foley.

Michael was feeding his neighbor's four Great Danes the afternoon of Jan. 23 when the animals attacked. Michael's father heard his son's screams and scared off the dogs, two 140-pound males and two 110-pound females.

Michael was flown by helicopter to UMC from his rural neighborhood off U.S. 95 near the turnoff to Mount Charleston.

The dogs were euthanized Friday, but on Monday the Foleys decided to not talk about the attack.

"We're going to take it slow, and he has to come back to the hospital every other day for rehabilitation," Denise Foley said. "I think we're going to take some walks, and his dad wants to play catch with him."

Michael spent much of his time in the hospital playing Playstation 2 and opening gifts.

"I really want to thank everyone for all the gifts," Michael said. "I got all kinds of autographed sports stuff."

Baseballs autographed by former Toronto Blue Jay Joe Carter and Mike Piazza of the New York Mets are among some of his favorite gifts.

A fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, Michael received a hat autographed by quarterback Donovan McNabb and received a phone call from another former Eagles quarterback.

"Randall Cunningham called and asked me how I was doing," Michael said. "That was exciting."

Cunningham told Michael his congregation had been praying for him, and that really helped him get better, Denise Foley said.

"He just wasn't meant to die," she said. "He was meant to be with us. It was amazing how many people were praying for him."

Doctors told Michael that he'll be able to return to school before the end of the year, but he'll have plenty to do in the meantime.

"I've got a lot of schoolwork I need to catch up on," he said. "They've already given me a lot of homework that I missed."