Etta Sue Haggerty decided it was time to clear out some leaves that had accumulated around some bushes in her yard.
On May 7, she decided to go out and do some gardening.
While clearing the debris, she felt a sting on the top of her foot, much like a bee sting. When she looked down, she realized that she had been bitten by a snake. At that point, the snake reared itself up again for another strike and she quickly got away from it.
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Her husband was able to quickly come and take photos of the perpetrator so it could be identified. They made their way to the hospital, as Haggerty was in a lot of pain and her foot was swelling up.
After Haggerty arrived at the Anne Arundel Medical Center emergency room, doctors soon realized they were dealing with a bite from a copperhead snake.
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Snake bites are uncommon in the area even though these snakes are indigenous to this part of Maryland. There was no anti-venom at the facility to treat her so doctors worked with the Center for Disease Control and Poison Control to get Haggerty the help she needed.
Anti-venom needs to be administered in the first six hours after the bite to be effective. Haggerty was within the time limit, but her foot was swelling more, she was in pain, and the tissue around the bite was turning black.
“My biggest concern while I was in the ER was the amount of kids in my neighborhood that could be at risk if they were bitten. My neighborhood put out a quick alert to let people know of the situation,” Haggerty said.
She learned that people under the age of 10 and over the age of 60 are at the most risk for suffering adverse consequences from a snake bite.
Haggerty spent two days in the hospital and is now recovering at home. It can take up to a month for the pain and swelling to completely go away.
Haggerty learned that snake bite victims should wrap a tourniquet just above the bite to keep the venom from spreading and not to put ice on the affected area.
“I really want people to know to be aware of their surroundings while outside," she said. "Copperheads are in our area and they blend in easily with the landscape.”
