Little Girl Disfigured by Pit Bulls Now Turning Down KFC's Money
The family of 3-year-old Victoria Wilcher, who was allegedly asked to leave a KFC restaurant because her face—damaged in a pitbull attack—was scaring customers, says it has turned down KFC's donation of $30,000.
The announcement came after the Laurel (Miss.) Leader-Call called the sad incident a "Kentucky fried hoax," citing a source who said security footage didn't show the family at any KFC location that day, and there were no orders for the meal Victoria supposedly ate—mashed potatoes and sweet tea.
The family maintained they were kicked out of the restaurant, and KFC decided not to withdraw its offer of money even after doubt had been cast on the story.
But Victoria's family has "unequivocally rejected" the 5-figure donation, which was meant to help with the child's medical bills, "because we didn't feel it was appropriate to accept it after everything KFC has done," the family's attorney, Bill Kellum, told The Jackson Clarion-Ledger.
Victoria will still get the treatment she needs, though. Las Vegas plastic surgeon Frank Stile, who has a nonprofit foundation, will handle her cosmetic surgery, and Florida's Center for Custom Prosthetics has offered to provide her with a prosthetic eye.
The family also received $100,000 in donations from crowdfunding site GoFundMe. Kellum says they'll be holding it in trust for Victoria, with a non-family third party in charge.
"They want to make sure every cent goes toward Victoria getting better," Kellum told the Clarion-Ledger.
