Like many families, Emma Sheil and her relatives decorate for the holidays with an artificial Christmas tree. Once the holiday season is over, they take the tree down and store it in their garage. A horrific incident that they encountered this year, however, has caused them to be more vigilant when decorating for Christmas.
The day after Emma and her family brought their Christmas tree in from the garage, their toddler came into contact with a poisonous spider.
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At first, the mom thought her toddler had a toy in his hand.
The terrifying situation progressed quickly. One minute, the mom was making dinner and saw her toddler with what she thought was a toy. But then she then heard the boy scream. He was bitten and his condition rapidly worsened after that, according to the Daily Mail.
Emma said her toddler's symptoms 'started almost immediately and escalated quickly.'
After the deadly spider bit the toddler, he began vomiting and having seizures, according to the Daily Mail. Initially, Emma and her partner tried to rush the 2-year-old to the hospital in their car, but about 10 minutes into the drive, they realized they had to call for an ambulance. “Tommy started choking and became unresponsive,” the mom wrote on Facebook, per 7News.
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The mom believes the spider traveled into their home via the Christmas tree.
They identified the spider as a funnel web spider. The deadly spider likely traveled into the family’s home from the garage when they brought their Christmas tree into the house.
Many species of funnel web spiders exist. A type of funnel web spider native to Australia, where the family lives, is considered the most dangerous spider in the country, according to WebMd. Though these spiders aren’t native to the United States, similar spiders called funnel weavers can be found within the country.
'We were rushed to Campbelltown Hospital, where we spent two hours in resuscitation,' the mom explained.
The mom recalled how her toddler “had a breathing tube inserted, was placed into an induced coma, and given both seizure medication and anti-venom,” per the Daily Mail. He stayed in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Sydney Children’s Hospital for close monitoring. Luckily, after a few days, the toddler could go home. He is expected to fully recover from the spider bite.
The family stressed the importance of acting quickly.
“We are so thankful we acted quickly. It could have turned out very differently, and we are counting our lucky stars,” the mom said, per the Daily Mail. She added that the horrible experience has “unlocked” a “new fear” for their family. At the same time, they’re “just so grateful” their toddler has recovered. Now, the toddler is “back to his cheeky self,” according to his mom.
