I’ve got snake fang stuck in my foot
A TEENAGER has returned home with a unique souvenir from the Llŷn peninsula lodged in his foot.
Macey Roberts was rushed to hospital after he was bitten by a snake near Pwllheli beach nearly two weeks ago.
The 13 year-old from Wrexham was attacked by an adder when he accidentally stood on it while playing in the sand dunes with his older sister Holly on May 30.
And despite recovering from the effects of the snake’s venom and returning home to recover, Macey still has one of the reptile’s fangs lodged in his foot after the bite.
Doctors have told him his body would either absorb the fang or eventually push it out through his skin “like a splinter”.
Macey’s mother, Emma, said: “We’re so relieved he’s OK, it was very frightening.
“We’re very thankful he was able to get to the golf club where they called an ambulance because by the time we arrived he was very drowsy and lethargic, he was so pale, he really did look horrendous and was virtually unconscious.
“We waited there for the rapid response team and then he was taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd.”
Once at the hospital, Macey was put on a heart and blood pressure monitor and was given an antivenom injection and morphine for the pain.
Emma added: “Doctors were reluctant to give him the anti-venom to begin with because of the possible side affects, but it was clear by midnight that he needed it.
“He’s was violently sick, he had two holes in his foot and his leg up to his stomach was black.”
Macey stayed in the hospital for four days before being discharged.
He is now due to undergo physiotherapy sessions as he is still unable to put pressure on his leg.
“The holes have healed up now and his leg is starting to turn yellow, rather than looking bruised, but the fang is still in there,” added Emma.E
“The staff at Ysbyty GGwynedd were fantastic with us, they’ve referred him to have physiotherapy here in Wrexham to help with his recovery.
“He still can’t walk on his leg, the swelling is still there but it’s far better than it was.”
Macey’s ordeal is just oone in a number of incidents involving snakes in North Wales.
In May, a three year-old boy was bitten in Rhosneigr on Anglesey.
It has also emerged that Ysbyty Gwynedd have already dealt with more snake attack victims over the last few weeks than they did throughout last year.
The North Wales Wildlife Trust recently said that the increase in snake incidents could be due to the warm weather, with the adders coming out to “enjoy the sunshine”.
Linda Dykes from Ysbyty Gwynedd’s Emergency Department recently said: “It’s usually the case that kids accidentally stand on them or people try to pick them up.”