Aussie woman reveals what saved her after deadly snake bite while sleeping
It is believed Kasey Leadbetter, 21, is alive thanks to a compression bandage which helped to reduce the venom spreading throughout her body.
A woman who was bitten by one of the most venomous snakes in the world while lying in her bed last Friday has recalled the fearful moment she realised something was wrong — acknowledging the situation could have gone "either way".
Kasey Leadbetter was working and living on a cattle farm in the rural town of Glenmorgan, situated over 280 kilometres west from Brisbane. Late last week she rolled over in bed and felt a "very strong bite" on her hand, somehow remaining calm despite the utter shock and confusion she felt.
"I just remember jumping out of bed straight away because it gave me such a fright and I just remember holding my hand... my hand just felt like it was on fire and then I could feel it was starting to travel up my arm," she told 9News. "I didn't see it and I think that might have, you know, helped to keep me calm".
The 21-year old was bitten by an eastern brown snake and quickly called her mum who in turn contacted the family her daughter was living with. While waiting for emergency services to arrive the family wrapped her arm in a compression bandage which helps to reduce the spread of the snake's venom. She was then airlifted to hospital.
"They still knew it could go either way it, it was very touch and go. I cannot express my thanks to everyone that was there to help," she said.
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Importance of snake bite first aid
Leadbetter believes more awareness is required on how best to treat a snake bite, advocating for snake bite first aid training to be taught in schools now she is acutely aware of how life-saving it can be.
"It has saved my life and it can save other peoples' lives too," she said.
Last September a snake catcher told Yahoo News Australia of how inexpensive yet effective snake bite kits are. Having one handy and knowing how to use could be the difference between life and death in incidents like this.
"The pressure immobilisation technique saves 1000s of lives a year," Mathew Hampton said.
There are over 100 venomous snake species in the country, with only 12 likely to inflict a wound that could kill humans — with the eastern brown snake ranked the second most venomous snake in the world.
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