Efforts are underway to help the child who allegedly had his eyes bitten out by his father late last month. Since the attack, there has been an outpouring of concern for 4-year-old Angelo Mendoza Jr., who family members call Angel.

A nurse at Kern Medical Center contacted the Eyewitness News tip line asking how she could get special toys to the child. Lori Vasquez works in the emergency room at KMC, and she's taking donations to buy toys for Angel that are designed for visually-impaired children.

"It hit me close at home, I have a 4-year-old, and I could not do nothing," Vasquez said Friday afternoon. The nurse scrolled through a Web site of special toys, looking over possible items for the child.

Vasquez said the little boy needs special care, and he still needs to grow up. She wants to find toys so he can play, get exercise -- and just be a child.

When police were called to the apartment after the attack, the boy told police, "My daddy ate my eyes." Doctors later told police that the child's left eye and muscle were gone and his right eye was damaged beyond repair.

Vasquez is also worried about the child's emotional well-being.

"Just the fact that that was the last thing he saw, it was very traumatizing," Vasquez said. "That's going to be his last visual memory. It just shook me up, and really hit close to home, and I had to do something."

The nurse has put two collection jars in the KMC cafeteria, and they'll be out 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through next Thursday. Vasquez said about $200 has been collected, but she'd like a total of $500. On Thursday she'll take the funds and order the special toys.

Vasquez admits the child's injuries probably hit the medical personnel like herself hard.

"We see all kinds of sad things every day, and we're touched by everybody's stories," she said. "However, just little Mendoza, you know, somebody's got to fight for him."

Officials with Kern County Child Protective Services say there are other local groups and individuals who are trying to create a nonprofit to help Angel, but they're still working through various legal steps.

The nurse said she wants to get the special toys to the little boy as soon as possible.

"I know it's already been done, whatever damage has already been done," Vasquez said. "So whatever we can do to help at this point, that's what matters now."