VALDOSTA, GA- A 5-year-old girl from Georgia was bit multiple times by a venomous snake and is now fighting for her life.

Maisy Lamica was bitten three times on her right calf by a timber rattlesnake.

“The amount of times that snake bit her was enough to kind of sedate an elephant at this point basically,” said Cynthia Spell, the girl's mother.

Spell said it happened on Friday when she went to check on the house cat, who had cornered a snake by a tree. Maisy was with her father at the time in Berrien County.

“He looked over and she was hopping on one foot, and as soon as he saw her hopping, he heard the rattle. So it didn’t rattle until after it bit her,” Spell said.
He immediately called 911.

Maisy went into anaphylactic shock by the time the ambulance arrived. Her body began shutting down on the way to the hospital.

Doctors informed Spell they aren't sure if Maisy is allergic to the venom or how much was in her body.

Upon her arrival at South Georgia Medical Center, her lungs began to close up, and her heart rate and blood pressure dropped. The doctors intubated her and she was airlifted to Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida.

She received as many as 37 vials of anti-venom.

Spell encourages parents to educate their children on what to do if they encounter a snake.

“I’ve gone my whole life in Georgia and I’ve never encountered a snake. You tell your children there might be a snake... there might be a snake... but you never really have the opportunity to educate them, what to do if there’s a snake. You don’t really think that through... as much as you should. I think that’s the overall lessons we got from all of this,” said Spell, warning other parents.

Spell said Maisy is now awake, but her leg is getting worse and doctors are trying to save it. The venom appears to be spreading to her thigh, which is still very swollen.