Snake bite causes girl’s foot to ‘blow up’ three times its size as venom reaches kidneys

A young girl from Middlesbrough was bitten by a snake while out on a walk, leaving her in a “shocking” condition.

11-year-old Grace Roys stepped on what is believed to be an adder while out with her family at the popular beauty spot Cod Beck Reservoir.

The incident has stunned medical professionals, as Grace’s foot swelled to “three times the size it should be” and venom reached her kidneys, reports TeessideLive.

Grace was out with her dad and sister on Friday afternoon after finishing her last day of primary school when she “stepped on something on a footpath, and then saw it slither way”, explained mum Maggy Mace, 37.

“Her dad came back from packing up the car and saw Grace was crying hysterically, but he thought she was overreacting.

“She was adamant she’d stood on a snake, but he thought it was just a worm or a caterpillar,” she said.

On the way home, Grace began to complain of a stomach ache, she was vomiting, and her foot was throbbing.

And when she saw her mum a few hours later, “her face was swollen, her foot was black and blue and she was physically sick,” explained Maggy.

“As soon as I saw her, I knew we had to get her to A&E. You could make out the teeth marks, and we were seen to straight away.”

Doctors confirmed the family’s suspicions that it was an adder bite – and found the venom had reached Grace’s kidney when they ran tests.

Grace has remained in hospital for two days so far, over which time the “swelling has gone halfway up her leg”, according to Maggy.

“Her foot is three times the size it should be, and it’s burning rock hard” she added. “All of the medical professionals we spoke to said they’ve never seen anything like this.”

It’s hoped Grace will be able to leave hospital soon, armed with crutches and a cocktail of antibiotics and antihistamines.

“She’s fed up of being stuck inside,” said Maggy. “But is practising getting back on her feet, because at the moment she can’t physically walk.”

In light of the frightening incident, Maggy is calling for signs detailing the potential dangers at Cod Beck reservoir.

“People think there’s no dangerous snakes in England, but they should be made aware of the threat” she added.

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The adder is the UK’s only venomous snake.

According to the Woodland Trust, they use this venom to subdue their meals, but it’s rare for the snakes to bite people.

It usually happens when humans are trying to handle them or accidentally step on them, and although the bites are “rarely fatal”, they can be “very painful.”