Five-year-old Maisy Lamica is doing better this week after being bitten three times by a timber rattlesnake. She even might leave the hospital soon, her mother posted on Facebook.
Maisy and her siblings were visiting their dad in Berrien County last week when their cat, unbeknownst to them, cornered a snake by a tree. When Maisy went to get the cat, the rattler bit her three times on her leg.
“It lunged out and bit her several times,” mom Cyndi Spell told the Valdosta Daily Times.
Maisy was originally taken to South Georgia Medical Center, which intubated the child because her lungs were closing up The girl was life-flighted to Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville, Fla.,Spell told the newspaper, because the Valdosta hospital didn’t have a pediatric intensive care unit.
There, she was given about 37 vials of antivenom, and doctors worried she might lose her leg.
As of Wednesday, however, the 5-year-old was walking the halls of the hospital.
“If you didn’t know it first hand, you’d honestly never know…this little girl was bit by a timber rattlesnake 3X on Friday, nearly lost her life… and less than a week later, is walking down the hall like nothing ever happened. Still a bit wobbly, but she is full of life, determination, and perseverance.
If you ever wondered if God hears prayers… here is your answer,” Spell wrote in a Facebook post.
Spell posted another photo of her daughter Thursday morning, with two legs the same size.
Between those two posts was an update saying Maisy might get to go later Thursday or early Friday.
“She’s going to make it,” Spell told the newspaper. “It’s going to take a long time, but she’s going to make it.”
A GoFundMe account was established by a family friend to help pay hospital bills. As of Thursday morning, it had raised $12,405 of its $20,000 goal.
If you would like to donate, here is the link: https://gofund.me/d5a19293.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, if you or someone you’re with are bitten, you should:
» Try to see and remember the color and shape of the snake, which can help with treatment of the snake bite.
» Keep the bitten person still and calm. This can slow down the spread of venom if the snake is venomous.
» Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
» Dial 911 or call local Emergency Medical Services.
» Apply first aid if you cannot get the person to the hospital right away: Lay or sit the person down with the bite below the level of the heart. Tell him/her to stay calm and still. Wash the wound with warm soapy water immediately. Cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing.
What not to do:
» Do not pick up the snake or try to trap it (this may put you or someone else at risk for a bite).
» Do not apply a tourniquet.
» Do not slash the wound with a knife.
» Do not suck out the venom.
» Do not apply ice or immerse the wound in water.
» Do not drink alcohol as a pain killer.
» Do not drink caffeinated beverages.
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