Ronald Poppo, Miami Cannibal Attack Victim ‘Living Happily' A Year After Rudy Eugene Gnawed Off His Face (PICTURES)
PICTURED: Miami Cannibal Attack Victim ‘Living Happily' A Year After Losing His Eyes And Nose
Sara C Nelson — Huffington Post UK
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GRAPHIC WARNING: Some readers may find images contained in this story upsetting.
A 66-year-old whose face was chewed off by a naked man under the influence of drugs is smiling again, a year after the horrifying attack.
Ronald Poppo lost his nose, both eyes and 80% of his face after he was viciously attacked by Rudy Eugene.
Eugene - who was dubbed "the Miami cannibal" by the media - was shot dead as he gnawed on Poppo’s face during the incident on Miami’s MacArthur Causeway.
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Ronald Poppo celebrates his 66th birthday in a Miami hospital, a year after the attack
As part of his birthday celebrations on Tuesday, Poppo agreed to be pictured in a series of shots where he is smiling with hospital staff.
Though he is blind, he has reportedly put on 50lbs since the attack, is in good spirits and has appeared in a short video thanking well-wishers for their support.
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Poppo is 'living happily and adjusting to his new life', medics say
Medics at Jackson Memorial Hospital revealed Poppo is “living happily and adjusting to his new life” at the Perdue Medical Centre, where he has learned to play guitar.
Last year Poppo, who was homeless at the time of the attack, was recorded telling police Eugene "just ripped me to ribbons."
In interviews obtained by CBS Miami, Poppo says: "He chewed up my face. He plucked out my eyes... and that's basically all there is to say about it."
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A fund set up by the Jackson Memorial Foundation has helped to pay for Poppo's medical bills and recovery.
He continues to work with an occupational therapist, who taught him how to dress himself, feed himself, shower and shave, Splash news reports.
It was widely believed Eugene was under the influence of bath salts at the time of the bloody attack, but toxicology reports confirmed the 31-year-old had been smoking marijuana.
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Eugene and Poppo lie on the ground in the aftermath of the attack
'Miami cannibal' Victim Ronald Poppo One Year On
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'Miami cannibal' victim Ronald Poppo is finally smiling again, one year after a horrifying face-eating attack in which he lost his nose, both eyes and 80 per cent of his face. (Credit: Splash)
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'Miami cannibal' victim Ronald Poppo is finally smiling again, one year after a horrifying face-eating attack in which he lost his nose, both eyes and 80 per cent of his face. (Credit: Splash)
(03 of07)
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'Miami cannibal' victim Ronald Poppo is finally smiling again, one year after a horrifying face-eating attack in which he lost his nose, both eyes and 80 per cent of his face. (Credit: Splash)
(04 of07)
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'Miami cannibal' victim Ronald Poppo is finally smiling again, one year after a horrifying face-eating attack in which he lost his nose, both eyes and 80 per cent of his face. (Credit: Splash)
(05 of07)
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'Miami cannibal' victim Ronald Poppo is finally smiling again, one year after a horrifying face-eating attack in which he lost his nose, both eyes and 80 per cent of his face. (Credit: Splash)
(06 of07)
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'Miami cannibal' victim Ronald Poppo is finally smiling again, one year after a horrifying face-eating attack in which he lost his nose, both eyes and 80 per cent of his face. (Credit: Splash)
(07 of07)
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'Miami cannibal' victim Ronald Poppo is finally smiling again, one year after a horrifying face-eating attack in which he lost his nose, both eyes and 80 per cent of his face. (Credit: Splash)
'Naked Cannibal Attack' In Pictures (WARNING, GRAPHIC IMAGES)
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The first police officers on the scene rush towards Rudy Eugene and Ronald Poppo following the attack on Miami's MacArthur Causeway on May 26 (credit:AP)
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A pair of naked legs can be seen in the images, which were captured by the Miami Herald's surveillance camera (credit:AP)
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Officers approach the two men (credit:AP)
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It is unknown if Rudy Eugene had been shot dead at this point (credit:AP)
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An officer vaults over the wall as he races towards the bloody scene (credit:AP)
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Crowds gather at the horrific scene (credit:AP)
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A City of Miami police officer stands watch near the scene (credit:AP)
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This is believed to be one of the first pictures taken after Rudy Eugene was shot dead by police. A seriously injured Ronald Poppo lies beside him (credit:Supplied)
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An undated mugshot of Rudy Eugene (credit:Supplied)
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An undated mugshot of Ronald Poppo (credit:Miami-Dade Corrections)
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A pixellated image of Ronald Poppo's injuries upon his arrival to Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital (credit:Supplied)
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Conscious and speaking, Ronald Poppo allowed this photo of himself to be released by the hospital (credit:Jackson Memorial Hospital)
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Ronald Poppo holds onto the hands of two Jackson Memorial Hospital staff (credit:Jackson Memorial Hospital )
Gloria Allred, Yovonka Bryant(14 of18)
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Yovanka Bryant,left, and her lawyer, Gloria Allred, discuss a recent attack on a homeless man by Brant's boyfriend Rudy Eugene, during a news conference, Wednesday, June 6, 2012 in Miami. Bryant said she last heard from Eugene, the day before he chewed off the face of a homeless man alongside a Miami highway. A police officer shot and killed Eugene. The homeless man remains hospitalized. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Gloria Allred, Yovonka Bryant(15 of18)
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Yovanka Bryant, right, and her lawyer, Gloria Allred, show a photo of Bryant and her boyfriend Rudy Eugene, during a news conference, Wednesday, June 6, 2012 in Miami. Bryant said she last heard from Eugene the day before he chewed off the face of a homeless man alongside a Miami highway. A police officer shot and killed Eugene. The homeless man remains hospitalized. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
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Former 'bath salts' addict Freddy Sharp told CNN about his experience of the drug Rudy Eugene is believed to have been under the influence off when he attacked Ronald Poppo (credit:CNN)
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Westbound traffic on the MacArthur Causeway, approaching the Northeast 13th Street ramp in Miami, is backed up Saturday May 26, 2012, after a police officer fatally shot a naked man on the ramp who was chewing on the face of another naked man. The victim remained hospitalized Monday. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Marsha Halper) MAGS OUT (credit:AP)
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A Google Maps image of where the attack occurred (credit:Google Maps)