DON"T let this happen to your family!!

[mickey family]

I want to share what happened to my son on our recent trip to make everyone aware and to be very careful.

At the end of May we were staying at the Caribbean Resort. We had only been there for 2 hours when we headed toward the bus stop to go to dinner. We were walking on the sidewalk when my 7 year old son dropped a toy into the landscaping. The toy landed less than a foot from the sidewalk edge into some very manicured landscaping. He bent down to pick it up, his feet never leaving the sidewalk, when he suddenly said, "Daddy, Daddy, something just bit me!" At first we thought it was just a prickly bush or a lizard until my husband saw the snake. We immediately called for an ambulance and I scooped him up, praying all the while, and headed for the bus stop to wait for the ambulance. The pain was excruciating and his hand began to swell. He kept asking me if he was going to die. Imagine hearing a question like that from your child and not knowing the answer. He was bitten three times on the finger by a water moccasin. We were first taken to Celebration Hospital and then transferred to Florida Children's Hospital. He spent three days in the pediatric intensive care unit and received 12 vials of anitivenin. The swelling reached all the way to his shoulder, but antivenin was administered before it invaded the shoulder joint, or he might have lost his entire arm. Thankfully the antivenin worked, he survivied, and was able to keep his arm and finger. For several weeks he was sleeping over 14 hours a day, one of the side effects of the antivenin, and he still has some stiffness in his finger.

I know the chances of getting bitten by a venomous snake at Disney are very rare, but it can and did happen. I just want to make everyone aware. It is a natural wildlife area. Watch your children around the landscaping, keep them from making shortcuts through it. Would our experience keep us from Disney in the future? No, but I would definately be more cautious. Just be aware of your surroundings.

[Cinderella94]

OMG!!!!! I am sooooo glad he's okay!! That must have been so scary .

[anonymousegirl]

So glad to hear your son is okay.

[selina4disney]

I am so glad he is OK! How scary for all of you!

[Steph9072]

I can not even imagine how scary that was for you and your husband. I am so happy to hear your little guy is okay. Thanks for he warning!

[Jedi_Galvatron]

Good advice for any outdoor areas really. Cotton mouth water moccasins such as the one that most likely bit your son can be found as far north as Virginia, but there are many breeds of poisonous snakes that can be found in all sorts of climates. CroFab anti-venom can almost always cure even the most severe cases if administered in time luckily. Glad your son is safe.

[LuvMy3Monkeys]

Originally Posted by Jedi_Galvatron

Good advice for any outdoor areas really. Cotton mouth water moccasins such as the one that most likely bit your son can be found as far north as Virginia, but there are many breeds of poisonous snakes that can be found in all sorts of climates. CroFab anti-venom can almost always cure even the most severe cases if administered in time luckily. Glad your son is safe.

We have them up here in Ohio at Lake Erie. That is so scary, snakes terrify me! We will keep an extra eye out next week while we're there!

Also, when we stayed at ASMo in Feb, we were in the buzz light year building and my husband smokes and would walk to the end of the building in the mornings down in the grass where he wouldnt bother anyone with the smoke (the end of the building farthest from the rest of the resort). There was a pond/lake there that he would sit and watch every morning because there were two otters playing in it. Every day he talked about these otters. About 5 days into the trip, he said he saw a huge alligator laying on the bank of the pond sunning itself and then get in the water. I literally was scared sh**less when he told me that. Maybe I'm used to squirrels and racoons up here in Ohio... but, I mean... who has alligators just out chillin and walking around? That is just scary!!! We definitely will be steering clear of the water and no more riding the boat to GF from the MK with our little ones

[Donna3271]

I am glad your son is OK! All this talk of spiders and snakes makes me really appreciate our troops in the Middle East. The things we encounter here are miniscule compared to the things they see on a daily basis (think Camel Spider, while not venomous, they are tremendous).

[TitanBrett]

Originally Posted by LuvMy3Monkeys

who has alligators just out chillin and walking around? That is just scary!!! We definitely will be steering clear of the water and no more riding the boat to GF from the MK with our little ones

who? florida, thats who There are alligators in basically every freshwater pond, lake, and river in the state. I suspect in a body of water the size of the 7 seas lagoon there are probably a few hundred. A small retention pond will usually be home to 2 females or 1 male. Though it sounds strange, they are not aggressive and rarely bother anybody. The state averages 1 death per year from an alligator which is outrageously low.

[mickey family]

I forgot to mention that the antivenin alone cost over $139, 000.00!!!!

[Feej]

Originally Posted by mickey family

I forgot to mention that the antivenin alone cost over $139, 000.00!!!!

Woah! Thats amazing!

[PrincessMonkey]

Oh my goodness. I am glad to hear that your son is okay after that incident and didn't lose a limb. How scary!

I am sorry to ask, but I am curious... Who pays for the treatment if this happens--I would imagine something like this is covered by insurance, right? I would feel bad if this happened to an uninsured family.

[1bigwdwfan]

Originally Posted by PrincessMonkey

Oh my goodness. I am glad to hear that your son is okay after that incident and didn't lose a limb. How scary!

I am sorry to ask, but I am curious... Who pays for the treatment if this happens--I would imagine something like this is covered by insurance, right? I would feel bad if this happened to an uninsured family.

My friend's husband was bitten by a snake last summer. His insurance company denied the antivenem. Can you believe it?

[luvmyfam444]

Originally Posted by 1bigwdwfan

My friend's husband was bitten by a snake last summer. His insurance company denied the antivenem. Can you believe it?

Was he okay without the antivenom or did he still get it but pay OOP?

[jodeeb]

Originally Posted by mickey family

I forgot to mention that the antivenin alone cost over $139, 000.00!!!!

First and most importatly, I am glad that your son is safe.

But what a way to start a vacation. I sure hope that your insurance covered it. It is amazing how much medical can cost these days. Did Disney do anything to help you out?