A MOTHER who saw her five-year-old son go stiff and pale before his eyes rolled to the back of his head has warned residents in the Dubbo region to remain snake-aware.
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Gilgandra woman Brenda Purvis and her family had gone to Nyngan for a work Christmas party by the river.
They were there only a short time before the snake struck son Jack twice, but Mrs Purvis said he initially handled it very well.
"We had just arrived and Jack went to play with his sister, but he came back soon after and said he thought something had bit him," she said.
He returned two minutes later showing extreme symptoms and he was taken in an ambulance to Nyngan District Hospital.
On getting there the family discovered what had caused Jack’s severe reaction.
"The doctor had a look and bandaged the leg, we still had no idea it was a snake bite at this point.
"They told us they only had one bag of anti-venom for the hospital and they didn’t want to use it until they made sure that’s what it was," Mrs Purvis said.
But it couldn’t wait, with Jack completely shutting down as they waited on results from a swab.
The medical staff gave Jack the anti-venom with the assistance of doctors from Sydney via video-link before the Royal Flying Doctor Service flew him to Dubbo Base Hospital for more tests.
Mrs Purvis said she could not have been more grateful for the help medical staff gave Jack and the rest of the family.
"The right medical staff were there on the right day, they were outstanding in Nyngan, and the RFDS were wonderful too.
"They said that if Jack hadn’t gone unconscious it would’ve gone through his system too quickly and he would’ve died," he said.
It was Mrs Purvis’ first time in Nyngan, but she said that realising snake attacks are irregular will make her more alert.
The family does not live on farmland but her children "will not be going outside without boots on".
"Everyone around here in Gilgandra has been saying there are snakes everywhere too.
"Apparently we had a brown snake in the street and while I was relaxed before I am very alert now and everyone else should be no matter where they are," Mrs Purvis said.
Jack is taking time off school to recover and will be in touch with Dubbo Base for the next two weeks as the venom totally leaves his system.
