Straight from the list of parents’ worst nightmares, a 2-year-old was collecting eggs on his family’s farm when he was bitten by a snake. Though his mom put a pressure bandage on the bite, which may have saved his life, according to BuzzFeed, Eli went into cardiac arrest after the paramedics took him away. He is now in critical condition in a Brisbane hospital, about 300 miles from his home in Queensland, Austrailia.
Screengrab via GoFundMe
To pay for medical expenses and the family’s having to “drop everything be by his side” (Eli’s mom is also pregnant), friends in the community have started a GoFundMe campaign. As of this publishing, it has nearly reached its $20,000 goal. The family wants any additional money raised to go to organizations who’ve already helped them, like CareFlight, according to the crowdfunding page.
The friend behind the campaign, Blake Hyland, has also organized a snake awareness event for the community this evening.