Uterus transplant recipient Kirsty Bryant's baby survives funnel-web bite
Kirsty Bryant and Henry in hospital, once he was recovering from the funnel-web bite. (Supplied: Kirsty Bryant)
In short:
Uterus transplant recipient Kirsty Bryant's son Henry was bitten by a funnel-web spider in their northern NSW home.
He was rushed to hospital and treated with anti-venom and has now recovered.
What's next?
NSW Ambulance recommends people call triple-0 and immobilise the injured person if a funnel-web bite is suspected.
Kirsty Bryant was cleaning up after breakfast on a regular weekday morning when she looked over at her 11-month-old and was immediately alarmed.
"A big black spider ran up his arm and then down his arm, and when it was on his hand, he just screamed," the mother-of-two said.
"I picked him up and shook the spider off.
"His little finger was bleeding, and I knew it wasn't good … he was very distraught."
Ms Bryant gave birth to her son, Henry, after becoming Australia's first uterus transplant recipient with a womb donated by her mother.
She described Henry as her "miracle baby" and said it was hard to believe he was experiencing a medical emergency within his first year.
"I kept thinking, we haven't even had his first birthday, this can't be happening," she said.
A dash to hospital
Ms Bryant, who lives at Emerald Beach near Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid-north coast, quickly called triple-0.
Henry on the flight to hospital. (Supplied: Kirsty Bryant)
"I said to the responder, 'It's a big black f***ing spider," she said.
"By then, Henry had started vomiting all over me, and so Henry is crying and vomiting, my daughter is crying; it was an awful, overwhelming situation.
"Luckily, that triple-0 responder had the training ... and he said to me, 'Do you have a first aid kit? We need to treat this like a funnel-web spider bite'."
The responder was Jordan Keen, a NSW Ambulance call centre trainee, who answered the call.
"I got goosebumps when she said it was a black spider, as I realised it could be a funnel web," he said.
"Funnel-web spider bites even in an adult can be fatal — so for an infant, it is extremely dangerous."
Mr Keen provided Ms Bryant with advice on how to bandage and immobilise Henry's arm to try and reduce the risk of venom moving through his body.
Henry's arm was bandaged as Ms Bryant did her best to keep him still. (Supplied: Kirsty Bryant)
"In patients so young, it doesn't take long for the venom to travel," he said.
"I became increasingly worried when she told me the baby had vomited, and I could hear that he had stopped crying.
"I stayed on the line until the paramedics arrived, reassuring Kirsty that the ambulance was coming as quickly as possible."
Ms Bryant said the spider was eventually identified as a Sydney funnel-web, Australia's most venomous spider.
She said Henry's condition continued to worsen on the way to hospital.
"He was going red in the face; there was lots of saliva and vomit coming out of his mouth.
"The ambulance got out onto the highway, and basically Henry stopped vomiting and stopped breathing ... I knew that children don't have very long when they aren't breathing.
"We just got a mask over his face with a bag pump … I was pumping … and the paramedic was checking for signs he was breathing."
The funnel-web which bit Henry was later contained. (Supplied: Kirsty Bryant)
A second paramedic crew met the ambulance halfway to assist with Henry's treatment.
Ms Bryant said when they arrived at the hospital, Henry was in a critical condition with an elevated heart rate.
He was given three vials of antivenom and then flown to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital.
Henry received three vials of anti-venom and was transported to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital. (Supplied: Kirsty Bryant)
Ms Bryant said, "It felt like forever", but Henry gradually improved.
"I learnt that anti-venom doesn't reverse the effects of the venom … it just stops it in its tracks, so the sooner you get the anti-venom, the better," she said.
"Once they said his heart was OK, that was a bit of relief."
After two days in the hospital, Henry returned home and is now doing well, ahead of his first birthday in a week.
"As a parent, you prepare for choking and do swimming lessons and all these things, but the last thing in the world I ever thought would happen was a funnel-web spider bite, and for it to happen inside our home," Ms Bryant said.
"Henry has a great story to tell; I don't know if I will be able to laugh about it for a while."
Henry slowly recovered after he was bitten by a funnel-web spider. (Supplied: Kirsty Bryant)
Symptoms and treatment
According to the Australian Museum, there have been 13 deaths from funnel-web spider bites in Australia, but none since the introduction of antivenom in 1981.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Chris Wilson said funnel-web spiders were typically more active during summer and liked dark places and warm, humid conditions.
He said bite symptoms could include localised pain, a tingling mouth, profuse sweating, excessive salivation, twitching, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing and an altered level of consciousness.
"Please call triple-0 … immediate treatment is vital," he said.
A male Sydney funnel-web spider. (Australian Museum: Mike Gray)
Inspector Wilson said carrying a first aid kit was always a good idea.
"For treatment, apply a pressure immobilisation bandage if possible, immobilise the limb," he said.
"If the bite is not on the limb, just firm pressure on the bite site and minimise any movement ... but don't restrict the breathing or chest movement.
"Do not attempt to capture the spider; if you are able to, get a photo for identification, but this should not delay the first steps of the treatment."