Mom Thought Son Was Stung By Wasp, Realizes Truth When He Turns Blue
A mother initially thought her three-year-old son had been stung by a wasp, only to realize the horrifying truth when his body suddenly began to turn blue. It was a beautiful, warm day when the little boy was playing outside, enjoying the fresh air. At first, when he came running back, his mother believed her little boy had simply gotten stung by a wasp. However, when she took a closer look at him, she noticed his body was turning blue and frantically called for help.
Elizabeth Nordgarden is the mother of a rambunctious, energetic little boy named Christopher. Like other kids his exact age, the typical three-year-old boy absolutely loves being outdoors. From family picnics to fun outdoor games, kids simply love to be outside where they can run around freely and play without a single care in the world. However, there can be hidden danger lurking in your very own backyard. Although we naturally want our kids to have the freedom to be completely carefree, we must also know the serious threats they could accidentally stumble across.
As three-year-old Christopher Nordgarden played outside one warm day, his mother, Elizabeth, learned this difficult lesson the hard way. Sadly, it was the innocent toddler who painfully paid the price when he experienced firsthand that being barefoot while outdoors comes with its fair share of serious risks—some that can even prove to be fatal. There is always the inherent risk of stepping on something sharp, or even encountering the occasional wildlife, such as an angry wasp, and being stung.
So, when her young son came running to her with tears streaming down his face, Elizabeth did not think it would be anything too serious initially. She never imagined that she was about to face one of the most dramatic and terrifying events that she had ever experienced in her entire life.
“She and her boys are visiting family,” Elizabeth told an interviewer, recalling the exact day her entire life was turned completely upside down.
“Then Christopher 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 explained.
He had stepped on something, all right, and it was indeed wildlife too, but the reality was far worse than a simple wasp sting. She would soon realize that he had not been stung at all, but rather bitten by a dangerous creature.
Exactly fifteen minutes after a crying Christopher crawled onto his mother’s lap, his little foot began to swell up severely and turn an alarming shade of blue. That was the terrifying moment when Elizabeth quickly called emergency services for immediate help. The emergency response was massive; both the ambulance and a rescue helicopter arrived quickly on the scene.
“They kept saying it was a viper snake bite, and we were transported to a hospital,” Elizabeth explained.
Upon arrival, Christopher was promptly given anti-venom and initially began to show encouraging signs of improvement. But then, suddenly and without warning, his condition took a devastating turn for the worse. He had begun to bleed internally from his intestines. What had started as some localized bruising on his foot and ankle was about to spread rapidly to the rest of his body, as practically all of his skin turned blue and appeared heavily bruised.
When the doctors measured Christopher’s total blood volume, they discovered a shocking reality: it was less than half of what it should have been for a boy his size. Furthermore, he had quickly lost a massive amount of weight, dropping rapidly from forty-four pounds down to just thirty-three pounds. He was in a desperate, fierce fight for his very life, all because of a simple, everyday mistake.
It took nearly two weeks of being continuously hospitalized, but thankfully, Christopher was eventually well enough to finally go home. He survived the horrific ordeal, but his battle to overcome the venom was extremely difficult.
Now, his harrowing story is serving as a vital warning for other parents and families. While an individual’s response to a viper’s bite can vary greatly, children are typically the most vulnerable population and are at the highest risk for deadly reactions. This dangerous reality goes for all venomous snakes, not just vipers, so it is crucial to know which specific snakes are prevalent in the area where you live.
In addition, all snakes are much more active during warmer weather, which coincides exactly with the time when people are also out enjoying nature. Therefore, there is a much greater chance of unexpectedly encountering one. Because of this, it is incredibly important to wear proper shoes outside, especially for young kids who are playing and not necessarily watching where they are walking.
This is definitely something that Elizabeth now pays much closer attention to as a parent, and it is a strict rule that she now requires of her children. Although Christopher has taken the horrific experience remarkably well, even going back to playing outside shortly after returning home from the hospital, Elizabeth has vowed to be much more cautious going forward.
“I have much more respect for vipers now, and I will ensure that my kids wear boots when they go out in areas with high grass in the future,” she said.
Prevention is truly the best way to ensure your own well-being, as well as the safety of your loved ones. It is important to know that during the cooler months, snakes tend to hide away more, but when it is warm outside, they could be absolutely anywhere, enjoying the warm sun’s rays just like you. So, it certainly does not hurt to take a quick look around the yard before letting the kids run loose to play.
Remember, not only should we be respectful of wild animals, but we must also remain extremely cautious of them at all times. Christopher is incredibly lucky, since this terrifying situation could have ended much differently. Now, others can learn from this common mistake that we all make. No parent wants to lose a child simply because they did not feel like fighting with them to put their shoes on. You never truly know what is hiding in the grass, so do not find out the hard way.
