Ontario toddler survives rattlesnake bite, partly thanks to 18 doses of antivenom
A 15-month-old toddler from Ontario is recovering after being bitten by an eastern massasauga rattlesnake. The child required 18 doses of antivenom and treatment at two different hospitals following the incident on the Bruce Peninsula.
Why it matters
Highlights the risks of wildlife encounters in rural areas and the critical importance of rapid access to specialized medical resources like antivenom.
Wells Gladwish, 15 months, was bitten by an eastern massasauga rattlesnake on the Bruce Peninsula. (Matt Huggett - image credit) A 15-month-old boy from Sarnia, Ont., is recovering at home after being bitten by a rattlesnake at a family cottage on the Thanksgiving long weekend, requiring treatment at two hospitals and 18 doses of antivenom.
Wells Gladwish was bitten on the thumb around 12:45 p.m. on Sunday while spending the afternoon with family at their cottage in Cape Chin North, on the Bruce Peninsula.
His father, Matt Huggett, said the toddler was walking near a family bonfire when he came upon a snake and tried to pick it up. The snake bit Wells on the thumb, which began to turn white within about five minutes.
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