A family faced a nightmare scenario after a 1-year-old was bitten by a rattlesnake. The young toddler needed more than 30 vials of anti-venom and almost died.
The reptile bit the little girl, Cara, on her foot. Her mother rushed her to the hospital, where she still needs surgery despite being bit earlier this month. The rattlesnake bit her while she was out in the yard with her mother, Jacquelyn Reed. The mom explained that she was throwing away garbage in their yard.
Just seconds later, a rattlesnake bit her daughter. The little girl yelled in pain. She told 12 News about the chaotic aftermath. "I saw four puncture wounds on the top of her foot and I did luckily see the snake tucked behind the propane tank," she told Fox Local. "I was able to put two and two together and then just rush her to the hospital."
Rattlesnake Bite
The mother called ahead. "It was really about the response of moving quickly that I think saved her life," she told News 12.
Doctors ended up airlifting her to the Phoenix Children's Hospital.
"Her foot was already black," the mother said. "I was terrified." The toddler lost consciousness after vomiting. Doctors ended up putting her on a ventilator to keep oxygen going.
"We were told that if she didn't show improvement within the hour, that we would be reintubating her with a tiny breathing tube and heading to the OR to have a vocal cord dilation performed," her aunt, Delia Reed, wrote on a GoFundMe page.
"It's really difficult to watch all of her complications," her mom also said.
Fortunately, the toddler started to make a recovery after the rattlesnake bite. She regained feeling and had the ventilator removed. However, she will need surgery on her vocal cords to get them back to normal."
"Obviously, I hope that we can get full function back, that she can, you know, be back to her normal, happy, cute, adorable self."
