DALLAS – From 2-year-old Parker Hadley’s smile, you’d never know he was in the hospital recovering from a rattlesnake bite.
Friday was his sixth day at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, where doctors are monitoring the bite.
Parker, of Grapevine, was bit by a rattlesnake last weekend while he and his family were visiting their second home in the Texas Panhandle.
Parker was standing beside his father, who was getting firewood to make s’mores, when the snake attacked.
It bit Parker twice, and eventually his leg and foot swelled nearly three times their size, said Parker’s dad, Trent Hadley.
Parker’s parents rushed him to a local hospital, and he was soon airlifted to Children’s Medical Center.
Since then, he has received 22 vials of anti-venom.
Doctors say the bite could have been deadly, but his parents acted fast.
His parents say they’re just thankful he’s alive today.
“We just prayed from the very beginning that he would stay protected and get the care that he needed right away, and that’s what’s carried us through,” said mom, Amy Hadley.
His parents say they’ve been overwhelmed with support and prayers.
They were able to kill the snake and snapped a picture, which they say helped doctors understand what kind of care to give Parker.
The toddler is expected to make a full recovery, and should be released from the hospital by next week.
Officials at Children’s Medical Center says they see 25 to 30 snake bite victims a year. But rattlesnake bites are rare. They see those every five to six years.
Children's Medical Center Dallas is the only Level I pediatric trauma center in North Texas, meaning they can treat all aspects of trauma from onset of injury to rehabilitation.