An Australian mother, Emma Sheil, is urging parents to keep an eye out for deadly spiders after her two-year-old son, Tommy, suffered a life-threatening reaction to a funnel-web spider bite. On Tuesday, Sheil walked into the living room of her Sydney home to find Tommy holding a funnel-web spider in his hands.
She suspects the spider entered the house on the family’s plastic Christmas tree, recently brought from their shed. At first mistaking the spider for a toy, Sheil sprang into action when Tommy screamed. Shortly after the bite, Tommy began vomiting and having seizures, according to 7NEWS.
“Tommy’s symptoms started almost immediately and increased rapidly,” Sheil shared in a Facebook post on Sunday. Sheil quickly placed the spider in a cup, covered it with a Christmas card, and took Tommy to the hospital.
However, just 10 minutes into the car ride, Tommy’s condition worsened: he began to choke and became unresponsive. Realizing they wouldn’t make it to the hospital in time, Sheil called emergency services. “The ambulance arrived quickly and we were rushed to Campbelltown Hospital, where we spent two hours in resuscitation.” she wrote.
At the hospital, Tommy was intubated, placed in an induced coma, and treated with seizure medication and antidote. Tommy was subsequently transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Sydney Children’s Hospital, where he remained for three days. Fortunately, he has since made a full recovery and returned home just in time for Christmas.
While doctors hope Tommy makes a full recovery, Sheil acknowledges how close they came to tragedy. “We are so grateful we acted quickly… we are counting our lucky stars,” he wrote. “We’ve definitely had a new fear released, but we’re so grateful that Tommy is okay and back to his cheeky self.”
After the incident, Tommy’s school began reviewing its indoor and outdoor safety checklists and educating children about spider safety. Sheil praised their proactive response and urged other parents to take precautions.
“We urge everyone to take precautions, spray their homes, check their children’s toys and shoes and be on the lookout for spiders, especially in this wet and humid weather,” he advised.
Tommy’s story serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers posed by spiders and the importance of acting quickly in such emergencies.