Sea Snail In Knee: Egg Hatches Under Boy’s Skin

A boy had a sea snail in his knee. The four-year-old had an unexplained bump, which his parents mistook for a cyst. When the bump finally popped, a small snail came out.

Ken and Rachael Franklin think an egg got into their son’s knee at the beach. The family was visiting the California shore when Paul fell and hit his knee on a rock. They were not concerned about the injury until it started to swell.

As reported by CNN, the Franklins treated the wound with antibiotic ointment and a Band-Aid. However, it eventually became infected.

Paul’s doctor suspected a staph infection. The boy was treated with antibiotics. The infection cleared, but the swelling continued.

Rachael Franklin could see something black under her son’s skin. Assuming it was a cyst, she tried to pop it. She was stunned to discover her son had a sea snail in his knee:

“It looked like a rock. It was a black thing… I put it on a paper towel and I’m like, ‘That is a weird looking rock. It has swirls on it,’ and I turn it over and it is a sea snail.”

As reported by MSN News, the Franklins suspect an egg got into their son’s knee. When it hatched, the snail continued to grow.

Despite the pain and swelling, Paul has been a good sport about the incident. He explains that he “thought it was kind of crazy.”

The snail was growing inside Paul’s knee for weeks. His knee swelled to the size of a baseball before the snail was removed.

Paul asked his parents if he could keep the snail as a pet. They agreed, and the snail is now living with Paul’s fish Dory. He decided to name the snail Turbo. He chose the name from the DreamWorks film, which is about a garden snail.

Paul’s parents never suspected he had a sea snail in his knee. They are happy their son did not suffer any permanent damage from the freak incident.

[Image via Flickr]