6-year-old girl ‘real trouper’ after being bitten by copperhead
A girl in Conyers found out the hard way that copperheads are one of Georgia’s six venomous snakes.
While she and her family were on a walk with the family dog, 6-year-old Brooklyn Bell stepped on one of the snakes.
“I stepped on the snake and it bit me!” Brooklyn told Channel 2 Action News’ Tom Regan.
Brooklyn’s mother, Sonia Bell, rushed her daughter to the hospital and the girl’s foot began to swell.
“She had two fang marks, like puncture wounds and blood was trickling down,” Bell told Regan. “Her foot had swollen up and it was turning blue. It got above her ankle.”
Antivenom can have adverse side effects in children — including rash, itching, wheezing, rapid heart rate, fever and body aches — so doctors at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston kept an eye on Brooklyn’s swelling and how far the venom was traveling up her leg.
“The physicians did a really good job of tracker her vitals and weighing the risks versus the benefits of giving her the anti-venom,” Sonia Bell told Regan.
Thomas Floyd, a wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources, told Regan it’s best to limit body movement to slow the spread of the venom.
“Just get to the hospital, as soon as possible, but also remain calm,” Floyd said.
Doctors decided not to give Brooklyn the antivenom. Brooklyn has recovered from her experience, and her mom said she’s proud of her. Brooklyn told Regan the bite didn’t even hurt that bad.
“They gave me two shots, and I didn’t cry,” Brooklyn said.
Brooklyn’s mom told Regan the little girl was a real trouper through the ordeal.
About the Author
Nancy Clanton is a lead producer for The AJC's platforms team, but also writes stories about health, travel, events and entertainment. A native of Knoxville and graduate of the University of Tennessee, she has worked at the AJC for 24 years.
