(Credit: Emma Shiel/Facebook)
An Australian mother, Emma Sheil, is urging parents to stay vigilant about 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 lounge room of her Sydney home to find Tommy holding a funnel-web spider in his hands.
She suspects the spider hitched a ride into the house on the family’s plastic Christmas tree, recently brought in from their shed. Initially mistaking the spider for a toy, Sheil was jolted into action when Tommy screamed. Shortly after the bite, Tommy began vomiting and experiencing seizures, according to 7NEWS.
“Tommy’s symptoms started almost immediately and escalated quickly,” Sheil shared in a Facebook post on Sunday. Sheil quickly placed the spider in a cup, covered it with a Christmas card, and rushed Tommy toward the hospital.
However, just 10 minutes into the car ride, Tommy’s condition worsened—he began choking 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 antivenom. Tommy was later transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Sydney Children’s Hospital, where he stayed for three days. Thankfully, he has since made a full recovery and returned home just in time for Christmas.
While doctors expect Tommy to recover fully, Sheil acknowledges how close they came to tragedy. “We are so thankful we acted quickly … we are counting our lucky stars,” she wrote. “A new fear has definitely been unlocked for us, but we’re just so grateful Tommy is okay and back to his cheeky self.”
Following the incident, Tommy’s school has begun revising its outdoor and indoor 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, get your homes sprayed, check your children’s toys and shoes, and keep a lookout for spiders, especially with this humid, wet weather,” she advised.
Tommy’s story serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers posed by spiders and the importance of quick action in such emergencies.
