A 7-year-old girl nearly lost her leg after going for 30 hours without realizing she had been bitten by a rattlesnake, and doctors struggled to diagnose what was wrong. KNPX was reported.
Allie Brasfield jogged with her father at Gilbert Regional Park in Arizona on September 16. Something happened during the run that caused Allie to complain of pain in her leg, but it wasn't so bad that she couldn't complete the run. When the family returned home, Allie's ankle was swollen and throbbing in pain.
“It didn't hurt right away,” Allie said. “It did [sic] there are no puncture wounds. Nobody saw a snake, nobody heard a rattle,” agreed his mother, Amber Brasfield.
When Allie's ankle became discolored and appeared bruised, her parents took her to one emergency room after another as doctors struggled to diagnose the snakebite. One hospital suggested that Allie might have sprained her ankle. “They said, 'It's OK, go home,'” Amber said.
But when they returned, Allie's symptoms had worsened. “It was very shocking,” Amber said. “It was just something abnormal, like you don't usually start throwing up from a sprained ankle.”
Finally, at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Allie's father wondered aloud if she was suffering from a rattlesnake bite. Doctors prepared a toxicology report and determined that Allie's blood contained snake venom. “It was a lot scarier knowing what the reality was,” said Allie's sister, Kendra Nadler. KNPX.
Thirty hours after she was bitten, Allie was rushed into surgery, where she received an emergency blood transfusion and 40 vials of antivenom. “We are so grateful, Phoenix Children's has been amazing,” said Amber.
However, he expressed some concern about the cost of the antivenom, which is not covered by insurance. A vial can cost between $1,000 and $17,000. “We're so grateful that they saved his life by giving him the anti-venom, but it's very overwhelming to think that he could walk away with a $400,000 bill,” he admitted. The family has started a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses.
Allie is currently recovering at home, but still can't stretch her legs normally or put too much weight on them. Another operation is scheduled for next week, after which he will undergo physical therapy. “You can do it, we're going to play back,” Amber told her daughter.