7-Year Old 'Visiting' Galesburg Boy Killed by Pit Bull - DogsBite.org

2013 Dog Bite Fatality: 7-Year Old 'Visiting' Galesburg Boy Killed by Pit Bull - DogsBite.org:

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03/05/13: Mother Breaks Down
Painful details continue to emerge in the wake of Ryan Maxwell's horrific death. The Register-Mail reports events leading up to the fatal pit bull mauling. Ryan had been invited to go to Skate Palace then spend the night with friends who live on Whiting Avenue. It was Ryan's first and last time to ever roller skate. On Saturday, he was viciously attacked by a pit bull residing at the Whiting Avenue home. The animal still had the boy clenched in its jaws when police officers arrived.

Sarah Mead, the boy's mother, said the reality of her son's death had not set in. But she broke down when being interviewed. "I have to go to the funeral home at 1 p.m. today," Sarah said. She started to cry. "Not my baby. This isn’t fair. This isn’t right. Words can’t describe how I feel right now. I have never felt this much pain in my life." Sarah's mother, Tina Mead, said they were all at the hospital, when doctors couldn't revive Ryan. Sarah had to give them permission to stop.

After that, Ryan was in a room and Sarah and I went in there to lie with him. To be with him. Half of his face was gone. And all of his throat. They had a wash cloth over half his face and his throat covered up. This thing did that to him. This thing just took our heart. It just took our soul. - Tina Mead

Visitation is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Hinchliff-Pearson-West Galesburg Chapel, with services at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.