An employee at a Kentucky Fried Chicken in Jackson, Miss., asked 3-year-old Victoria Wilcher to leave the fast food restaurant because her facial scars scared the other customers.
Victoria was the victim of a brutal pit bull attack at her grandfather’s home this past April. After Donald Mullin’s three dogs broke down his back door, the dogs jumped on the little girl and broke her nose, both jaws, cheekbones and right eye socket. Victoria ultimately lost her right eye, and that side of her face is now paralyzed.
After yet another trip to the doctor with her granddaughter, Kelly Mullins decided to treat hungry Victoria to a meal at KFC last week. Victoria is on a feeding tube, so Mullins ordered her some soft mashed potatoes.
But while Mullins and Victoria were seated in the restaurant, a KFC employee walked over with a shocking message.
“They just told us, they said, ‘We have to ask you to leave because her face is disrupting our customers,'” she told WAPT-TV.
Little Victoria registered what was happening and cried the entire car ride home. Mullins expressed dismay that such a young child is now self-conscious about her appearance. “She won’t even look in the mirror anymore,” Mullins said. “When we go to a store, she doesn’t even want to get out (of the car.)”
In the wake of the encounter, the administrator for the Facebook page “Victoria’s Victories” asked social media users, “Does this look scary to you? Last week at KFC in Jackson MS this precious face was asked to leave because her face scared the other diners.”
The post generated an outpouring of public support for Victoria and her family and prompted an apology from KFC.
The company has already donated $30,000 to Victoria’s medical bills and organized a picnic for the child. KFC also plans to further investigate the incident.