In North Carolina, a family’s fears turned into reality when their son’s playtime became perilous. A 4-year-old is now on the mend in the hospital after an encounter with a copperhead snake at New Beginnings Child Enrichment Center in Stony Point, northwest of Charlotte. On Thursday, the boy was face-to-fang with the snake while playing near a sandbox. The copperhead bit the child’s hand.
The daycare staff’s reaction to the snake bite emergency is what has left the boy’s loved ones dismayed. According to the family, once a swift-thinking staff member killed the snake, the situation was treated with an inexcusable lack of urgency. Instead of dialing 911 for professional help, the center’s employees failed to take the necessary steps to ensure the boy’s well-being.
According to the child’s aunt (Brook Cooper), the daycare initially informed the family that the boy had either a splinter or a potentially broken hand. However, upon their arrival, they were shocked to find out the actual reason for his pain.
Cooper told local reporters, “The director got up and said ‘he got snake bit.’ My first thought was, ‘Why didn’t they call 911?’” It was indeed the boy’s guardian who ultimately took him to the hospital after discovering the bite. The family has released a heart-wrenching picture of the child’s hand, which is extremely swollen and connected to hospital monitors in the emergency room.
This illustrates the seriousness of copperhead snake venom. The local emergency services, Alexander County 911, have verified to news outlets in Charlotte that they did not receive a call from the daycare regarding the incident.
The daycare, however, is standing firm in its defense.
NBCEC has spoken to the Charlotte Observer, explaining that at first, the workers thought the kid’s discomfort was from a splinter. This is because he kept playing, and the playground is covered in rubber, not wood.
Those are copperhead snakes; if you’re hiking and come up on a nest, stop and backup pic.twitter.com/iEJbB4tAG5
— Nature is Amazing ☘️ (@AMAZlNGNATURE) April 13, 2024
They called the kid’s caregiver quickly, just to be safe. “We want our families and community to know that this situation was handled quickly, responsibly, and with the child’s care at the center of every decision,” the daycare said, per The Mirror US.
They promise to bring in experts to ensure this doesn’t happen again and keep all the kids safe.
Snake encounters in North Carolina are quite common during late summer and early fall, with the local Alexander County 911 receiving such calls annually. Although first responders don’t have anti-venom on hand, they provide essential care to keep people stable until they can get to a hospital. The New York Post reports that Copperhead snake bites often lead to swelling and bruising.
In some cases, they can cause low blood pressure and internal bleeding.
PSA: Pay attention for snakes in tall grass and in pumpkin patch’s. I got bit by a juvenile copperhead while working a photo shoot last week. pic.twitter.com/43r6UXhL40
— The Nostalgic (@TheNostalgicCo) October 6, 2021
No recent news from the authorities about the four-year-old boy’s condition has been reported. This has got parents all over the area thinking hard. They wonder how often snakes might show up in places where their kids play without anyone noticing.
They also question why calling for help in an emergency took so long. When dealing with a snake that can be really dangerous, especially for someone so little, “better safe than sorry” should be the main rule. It’s the least we can do.
