Since being taken to a nearby hospital on Friday after being bitten twice by a diamondback rattlesnake, a youngster from Arizona has not been able to grin.
Her family is concerned about the potential long-term damage the 15-month-old may experience, so she has since received 30 vials of antivenom and may require many more.
“We miss her smiles,” Jacquelyn Reed told 12 News.
She clarified that Reed went to dispose of a piece of trash while she and her young daughter, Cara, were just strolling around their home close to Florence.
Reed claims that she heard Cara begin to cry after she had been gone for about ten or so seconds.
When she then went to find out what was wrong, she noticed the young girl “had four puncture wounds on the top of her foot, in the little window of her little jelly shoe, and behind her, to her left was a snake coiled up.”
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Terrified, Reed claimed she snatched Cara up right once and hurried to a local ER, contacting ahead to inform the physicians that her daughter required antivenom.
However, the hospital was unable to administer the antidote for more than an hour, and soon after, Cara’s foot began to turn black, according to an online fundraising created to assist the family with the little girl’s medical bills.
Reed claimed that Cara ended up throwing up and fainting at the same moment.
From there, the hospital airlifted the little girl to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for treatment – where Reed said Cara has “had 30 vials of antivenom so far.”
Cara had to be intubated once she began experiencing breathing difficulties, so her recuperation has not been simple.
After a trying few hours for the family, that tube was eventually taken out on Tuesday.
“For the first few hours after taking the tube out, her breathing was very tight and we couldn’t keep her oxygen up,” Cara’s aunt wrote on the online fundraiser, noting that at times the little girl’s oxygen saturation dropped to just 25 percent.
The toddler’s voice cords were found to be swelled almost shut when Cara’s medical team at Phoenix Children’s Hospital summoned the specialists for ears, nose, and throat to the patient’s bedside.
At that point, the doctors provided the little girl with more steroids, respiratory treatments, “positioned her in a specific way to help with her floppy airway” and started her on oxygen mixed with helium.
“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, wrote.
“We prayed and sat by her side, listening for improvement in her breathing” and soon, Cara “began to move more air,” Delia wrote in an update on the online fundraiser.
“She slowly showed improvement and got over the hump.”
Cara was “finally getting nourishment by way of a feeding tube,” according to Delia’s Wednesday post.
“Cara is now aware enough to make eye contact and is getting upset when Mom goes out of her sight,” she shared.
“She is so strong and resilient, and we are so happy with the progress she is making.”
However, Delia stated on Tuesday that Cara was starting to exhibit symptoms of long-term injuries, and “we do know that her injury is unfortunately one of the more severe,” raising doubts about whether she will ever be able to fully use her foot again.
“We will be looking to see what kind of recovery she can make, but right now, nothing is off the table as far as her long term damage goes,” Delia shared, noting that the family is considering foot surgery.
However, she and Jacquelyn both express their gratitude that Cara made it through the trauma.
We are just grateful we still have our little girl with us,’ Delia wrote on the GoFundMe, as she thanked everyone who has raised over $17,000 for the little girl’s recovery.
“Cara is a true blessing from God and somehow, everyone knows it,” she said.
“We feel your love and your support and [know] without a DOUBT that Cara was preserved today because of the outpouring of faith and prayers to our Heavenly Father by all who love her.”
Jacquelyn added that her baby is “the angel of the family and she still hopes that we can get full function back, that she can, you know, be back to her normal, happy, like cute, adorable self.”
