Kyleen Waltman, who lost both arms in pit bull attack, asks mum to hold her hand

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A woman who lost both arms in a savage pit bull attack keeps asking her mum to hold her hand during recovery.

While Kyleen Waltman, 38, is conscious and in "good spirits", she doesn’t fully comprehend the extent of her injuries, according to sister Amy Wynn.

"At times we don’t think she has gripped the fact she has lost her arms because she will ask our mama to hold her hand and mama says ‘I am’, and Kyleen will say, ‘OK’," Ms Wynn said in a GoFundMe update, which has raised more than $212,000 for medical expenses.

"It’s sad to see her like this."

Ms Waltman was attacked by three dogs in South Carolina on 21 March. They have since been killed and their owner, Justin L Minor, was charged with several counts of animal control violations.

The South Carolina mother of three was still being attacked by the animals when a passerby found her rolled into a ditch by the side of the road, her other sister, Sheena Green, told the Associated Press.

In addition to losing both arms, Ms Waltman had part of her colon removed and lost part of her leg. She may lose more of her left leg, which Ms Wynn says hasn’t accepted a skin graft and the infection around "a gaping wound" keeps spreading.

"So her left leg may still have to be amputated if they can’t get it to heal and accept the new skin,” Ms Wynn wrote in a previous update.

Doctors were able to save the muscle and nerves in Ms Waltman’s right shoulder, allowing a prosthetic to be fitted to the arm. The left arm was too damaged to fit a prosthetic.

She has so far had more than 10 surgeries and no longer has enough skin to do more grafting needed, said Ms Wynn.

Doctors will next put a balloon in her right flank where there aren’t any bite marks so they can stretch the skin to do another graft on her leg.

"Kyleen is very antsy she wants to leave and wants to drink her Dr Pepper and get out of bed. She is awake and alert she is very hard headed," Ms Wynn said.