A one-year-old Arizona baby girl named Cara managed to barely survive two rattlesnake bites to her foot. Reportedly, she was bitten in her own yard while accompanied by her mother.
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According to 12 News, the incident took place on the afternoon of Friday, May 12. At the time, Cara and her mother, Jacquelyn Reed, were at their Florence, Arizona, home’s yard. Reed threw away a piece of trash and, in just seconds, she heard Cara crying uncontrollably.
After the mother ran for her one-year-old, she found out that something had gone terribly wrong.
“[Cara] had four puncture wounds on the top of her foot, in the little window of her little jelly shoe,” Reed told the outlet. “Behind her, to her left was a snake coiled up.”
Reed, knowing that her daughter had been bitten by the snake, rushed Cara to a local emergency room. The girl’s symptoms started to worsen: she vomited, her foot started to turn dark, and eventually she passed out. Cara was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital to receive treatment.
According to Reed, doctors administered at least 30 vials of antivenom to fight the snake’s bites. The one-year-old also had difficulty breathing, so doctors had to intubate her. At one point, her oxygen levels fell to a worrying 25 percent.
Road To Recovery
In a GoFundMe created to raise funds for Cara’s medical expenses, the family revealed that, as a result of the snake bites, Cara’s vocal cords had swollen up. As a result, steroids had to be administered.
Despite her initial condition, Cara began to show signs of improvement. She began regaining consciousness, making eye contact, and even recognizing her mother. Eventually, she was extubated and, eleven days after the incident, she came back home with her family.
However, her condition continues to be frail. In a latest GoFundMe update, Carolyn’s parents, Matt and Jackie, stated that she had been experiencing breathing and pain management problems. Additionally, Cara will undergo surgery to help reconstruct her foot, heavily affected by the bites.
The family, amid Cara’s remarkable recovery, has thanked all the people who have supported them throughout this painful, albeit hopeful journey.
“Cara is the strongest little girl we know,” Cara’s parents said. “She is a warrior and a walking miracle. We know that with continued prayers, she has a much better chance at recovery and walking again.”