Mom Thought Her 3-Year-Old Boy Was Stung by a Wasp, but It’s Much More Serious

A file photo in a hospital. Gerry Broome/AP

Warning: Photos published in this article might be disturbing to some.

As it gets warmer, a mother has issued a warning to other parents.

Elisabeth Nordgarden, a mother from Norway, explained that her son, 3-year-old Kristoffer, was outside in their backyard when he came back with a serious injury.

”Me and the boys were visiting my grandparents,” Elisabeth told NRK, according to a translation. ”Then Kristoffer began to cry a little and climbed onto my lap. We thought he had been stung by a wasp or scratched himself on a branch.”

She thought that it was a wasp sting at first.

However, after about 15 minutes, his foot started to swell and turned blue.

“The ambulance and helicopter arrived quickly. They kept saying it was a viper snake bite and we were transported to a hospital,” she said to the broadcaster. She didn’t elaborate on what type of viper it was.

Luckily, the boy received an antidote and showed signs of recovery, according to the NRK report.

The report noted that the boy suffered internal bleeding in his intestine, and doctors discovered that he had also lost weight, going from about 44 pounds to 33 pounds.

Emergency room doctor Harry Achterberg said that after a snake bite, it’s important for victims to stay calm. And it’s not just for vipers, but for all venomous snakes or snakes in general, he noted.

“Vipers are much more active in the summer. More people are also out in nature, and therefore there are greater chances of encountering one,” Petter Bochman told NRK.

After about 10 days, the boy recovered and was sent home.

The next day, he again went outside to play, but his mother is more cautious this time around.

“I will ensure that my kids wear boots when they go out in areas with high grass in the future,” she stated.

Similar Incident in Virginia

A woman walked into a steakhouse in Southpoint, Virginia, and felt a sharp pain.

Rachel Myrick’s first thought was that she was stung by a bee or a hornet, according to Fredericksburg.com.

As she walked, the pain got worse. She dropped her phone, keys, and her son’s hand.

“I had my fingers under my foot and that’s when I felt something moving,” said Myrick.

Apparently, she had been bitten twice on her toes by an 8-inch-long copperhead snake that got into the restaurant. It was still stuck in her foot as she tried to get it loose.

“The family thought I had fallen. I reached over to grab my foot. I dropped my phone, dropped my wallet, clutched my foot and that is when I felt it moving underneath my fingers,” she recalled to Fox5.

Copperhead snakes, which are endemic to the East Eoast of North America. They grow to an average length of 20 to 37 inches. The color pattern is a pale tan to pinkish tan ground color that becomes darker towards the foreline.

“I was holding hands with my son, and had he been on the other side of me, this could have been him. I wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone but am so thankful it didn’t happen to a child,” Myrick said, per Dearly.

She added to the website: “Count your blessings and be thankful for the moments you are able to live your life on your own terms and in your own way. I can’t walk on my own and can’t drive — so my life (and my children’s lives) are now at the hands and mercy of those around me. I am forever grateful for the love and support I am surrounded by. My boyfriend, children, parents, and friends have been amazing, and I would be lost without them.”