Life can change in an instant and an accident or unexpected encounter can take things from zero to 100 in a split-second.

Brooklinn Khoury a 22-year-old, was just starting off her modeling career, but all that changed when her cousin’s dog, a pit bull attacked her, ripping off her upper lip completely.

“He was hanging off my mouth,” Brooklinn said. At first, she thought it was a minor bite, but the horrific realization quickly set in.

She has had multiple surgeries to rebuild her upper lip. Doctors took skin and nerves from her arm and transplanted them to create a new functioning lip. Despite the horrific accident, she maintains an overwhelmingly positive outlook on her life and her future.