Britagne Miller, Goddard, Kansas mom with pre existing medical condition forced to get liver transplant after multiple spider bites while camping with family.
A Kansas mother of four is battling for her life after being bitten by an unknown number of spiders while camping at Cheney Reservoir about 35 miles west of Wichita.
Britagne Miller, of Goddard, KS, who has a history of blood-clotting disorders, was sitting by a campfire with her family on May 28 when the insects crawled all over her, leaving her with several bites on her body.
Although she seemed fine at first, four days later a painful bruise developed near one of the bites on her calf, which prompted her to go to the hospital.
Pre-existing blood-clotting disorders triggered liver breakdown following spider bite
‘This one kept swelling and swelling, and it was like, you know, a fire stir that’s metal,’ Miller told KAKE. ‘It was like shooting down my leg into my foot, and it felt like it was being stabbed.’
Miller said she had been diagnosed with two blood-clotting disorders while pregnant with her daughter, and had developed food and medication allergies in addition to a compromised liver.
‘I’m terrified of surgery, that I’m going to go to sleep and not wake up, or that I’m going to bleed out,’ Miller told KCRA. ‘They came at 9 o’clock in the morning, and they’re like, we need you to sign this paper. We’re going into surgery.’
Doctors removed approximately 2 oz of blood clots and installed a drain to help the wound heal — but five days later Miller’s wound became infected with a serious staph infection and a gram-negative S-type infection.
Kansas mom had days left to live
Her physicians also said they believed she was in end-stage liver failure and had only a few days to a month left to live.
The mom declined hospice care and stayed in the intensive care for more than a month, finally leaving the hospital July 11 after multiple surgeries and infections.
‘I was like, I give up,’ Miller said. ‘I’m done being cut open. I’m done being poked and prodded. I’m done hurting. Then I thought about all of them.’
She’s now on the waiting list for a liver transplant.
Understanding Brown recluse bite reactions
Although she didn’t know what kind of spider(s) bit her, Kansas State University horticultural entomologist Dr. Raymond Cloyd said the only two venomous spiders in the state are the black widow and the brown recluse, which are commonplace throughout the Midwest.
Brown recluse bite reactions can vary from mild irritation to a potentially dangerous reaction, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Common symptoms include pain at the site, pain surrounding muscles near the bite, a blister at the site, swelling and bruising. More severe symptoms include a rash, fever, vomiting, dizziness, chills and difficulty sleeping.
In some cases, the bite wound may be infected. ‘An untreated and infected wound could be life-threatening,’ according to Cleveland Clinic, which urges people to seek treatment if worsening or severe symptoms develop.
The unfolding drama has led to Miller’s husband losing his job on account of the dad being unable to work normal hours while caring for her and their children, with the family setting up a GoFundMe account for her hospital expenses and their day-to-day expenses.
‘Before she can be considered for transplant surgery, doctors must get her blood clotting and labs stable enough to tolerate the operation,’ Jake explained on the GoFundMe. ‘That stabilization process could take several months, and until then every day is focused on helping her body heal and become strong enough for the next step.’
Jake said he is inspired by Britagne’s strength and resilience amid her health crisis.
‘I have watched her endure more pain than I ever thought a person could survive, and somehow, she still finds the strength to fight,’ he shared. ‘If there’s anyone who can make it through this, it’s Britagne.’
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