Mar 4, 2009 2:45 pm US/Eastern
Report: Chimp-Attack Victim May Have Brain Damage
Charla Nash Lost Her Hands, Nose, Lips, Eyelids In Attack; May Be Blind
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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A 200-pound chimpanzee named Travis, attacked and critically injured a 55-year-old woman in Stamford, Conn., on Feb. 16.
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Hospital officials in Ohio say a Connecticut woman mauled by a 200-pound chimpanzee two weeks ago lost her hands, nose, lips and eyelids and may be blind and suffering brain damage.
The Cleveland Clinic tells The Associated Press that 55-year-old Charla Nash also lost the bone structure in her face when she was attacked on Feb. 16 in Stamford, Conn.
The clinic revealed the specific injuries Wednesday for the first time.
Nash remains sedated in the hospital, which performed the nation's first face transplant in December. Hospital officials say it's too early to know if she will be a candidate for a face transplant.
Michael Nash, the victim's twin brother, had been considering filing a lawsuit on his sister's behalf after he was appointed her temporary conservator two weeks ago. The conservator is needed to make medical decisions after consulting with doctors, according to court papers.
Also in court papers, Michael Nash said the conservator status was needed to protect his sister's ability to recover damages in future litigation.
Neither he nor the family's attorney, Matthew Newman, would comment on who they might sue. "We're pursuing all potential legal avenues," Newman said.
In an interview with CBS station WCBS-TV, Herold, who owned the 14-year-old chimp for nearly all his life, said she fed Travis the finest foods, including steak, lobster, cheesecake and wine. She said Travis combed her hair and slept with her.
When he was younger, the chimp starred in TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca-Cola, made an appearance on the "Maury Povich Show" and took part in a television pilot.
Herold asked Charla Nash to come to her home the day of the attack to help lure Travis back into her house. Herold has theorized that the chimp attacked Nash to protect her because he didn't recognize Nash, who had changed her hairstyle, was driving a different car and was holding a stuffed toy in front of her face to get Travis' attention.
Herold stabbed Travis with a butcher knife and struck him with a shovel in unsuccessful attempts to get him off Nash. Police, who shot and killed the chimp, said Nash's face appeared to have been ripped off in the 12-minute attack.
Four teams of surgeons operated on Nash for more than seven hours to stabilize her before she was transferred three days later to the Cleveland Clinic.
Herold has made conflicting statements about whether she gave Travis the anti-anxiety drug Xanax before the attack. She has also said he suffered from Lyme disease. A test for rabies was negative and results from a necropsy are pending.
Authorities have not said whether Herold will face criminal charges. Connecticut state law allowed her to own the chimp as a pet.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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