A three-year-old girl in Santa Clarita, California, was bitten by a Southern Pacific rattlesnake while reaching for a gift delivered in an Amazon package.
Manaul Barajas, the girl's father, described the incident as a "terrifying experience" after his daughter, Addy, was bitten on the left hand by the venomous snake. The snake had been hiding under the brown padded envelope.
Addy's mother quickly transported her to first responders, who took her to a local hospital. She was administered antivenom, but her condition necessitated a transfer to a pediatric intensive care unit, where she stayed for two nights and received two additional doses of antivenom.
Barajas stated that his daughter is now recovering well, reporting that she is approximately 70 percent recovered and still shows bruising on her left hand. Despite the ordeal, her spirits remain high, though she frequently asks why she was bitten.
While Barajas was away on business when the incident occurred, he has since returned to be with his family. The family is now facing significant medical expenses related to Addy's hospital stay, antivenom treatments, and her time in the pediatric ICU. Barajas also missed about a week of work to care for his family.
He launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs, stating that they never anticipated such a situation and are finding the expenses overwhelming. As of the report, the campaign had raised over $12,000 from hundreds of donors.
This incident occurred shortly after another young girl was bitten by a rattlesnake while on vacation in Colorado. Quinn Robertson was bitten twice on the leg by a rattlesnake while she and her mother were looking at horses.