CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A four-year-old boy who was bit by a venomous snake is recovering, thanks in large part to what his parents did right after that bite.
The family from Tennessee was camping in North Carolina over Memorial Day weekend when Jad Pollom was bit by a copperhead, according to CNN affiliate WTVC.
Jad's mom, Stacey Pollom, remembers it well.
“I heard Jaddy scream,” she told WTVC. “I knew it was a concerning one."
Jad was rushed to the emergency room, where he received anti-venom. His mother said his symptoms progressed, so he was flown by medical helicopter to TC Thompson Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a higher level of care.
Once there, he was treated for three days until he stabilized.
According to an expert who WTVC spoke with, Jad’s parents did the right thing after the bite.
“The wise thing is just relax and just go to the emergency room,” Kevin Calhoon, curator of forests at Tennessee Aquarium, said. “And getting a picture of the snake is very wise because that tells for sure what the snake was."
That’s exactly what Jad’s parents did, according to WTVC. They rushed him to the emergency room and Jad’s dad was able to get a photo of the snake to show doctors at the emergency room.
And while Jad's parents did the right thing, there's one big myth out there that experts say you shouldn't believe.
"Do not suck out venom because you want, you're basically going to encourage it to go to a different spot, and you could possibly get some in your mouth, and if you have a cut that could cause problems," Kate Gore with Chattanooga Zoo told WTVC.
You can see the full story on the WTVC website.
There are also plenty of snakes in Southeast Texas, so what do you do if you encounter one? That's what KHOU 11 reporter Ugochi Iloka reported on this time last year. Here's what she found.