“He felt something crawling on him: “Simple spider biting makes the teen fail and unable to speak
A healthy high school teenager suffered from kidney failure and was sometimes unable to speak after being bitten by a spider.
Noah Johnson, 16, loves to play baseball, lifts his weight for three hours a day, and is bitten by Arachnid in June, which leaves him bedridden for weeks.
The junior high school said he “feeled a little crawling” while working at a fence construction company in Slater, Iowa last month.
“He said he just jumped,'” his mom Brandy Johnson told people.
The next day, the teenager complained to his mom that the bite was painful and that within a few days it tripled in size.
“The initial wound quickly became very serious,” Brandy said. After Noah’s infection began to seep, she rushed him to the emergency room, and the teenager had a fever of 103 degrees. The doctor sent Noah away with antibiotics, but three days later, his fever continued and he could no longer walk.
Noah Johnson, 16, is a keen baseball player who lifts his weight for three hours a day and is bitten by a spider web in June. The teenager, who is now recovering from home, has been in kidney failure and can’t speak at times. (Gofundme/Brandy Johnson)
Noah was taken to an emergency surgery to remove an infected area at the Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa. The next morning, he entered kidney failure and was transferred to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines.
Doctors placed Noah on dialysis, where he spent two weeks in the pediatric ICU, where he lost 35 pounds.
Sometimes the young man couldn’t even speak, but on July 16, he felt strong enough to talk to his mom.
“He thought he was dying,” Brandy said. “He said, ‘I’m scared.’ I told him, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.
Eventually, Noah was strong enough to take it outside in a wheelchair where he could feel the sunshine on his face.
Black Widow and Brown Reclusive Spider are some of the types of poisonous spiders we find that can pose a threat to outdoor workers. (Getty)
In mid-July, Noah’s family breathed a sigh of relief when they were moved out of the ICU after their kidneys began to operate. He is now recovering from home, and his gratitude mom confirms on the fundraising platform.
The family is supported by the community and a group of Noah’s friends’ moms initiated it GoFundMe Page raised more than its $15,000 target.
“After a few challenging and exciting weeks, we’re so grateful that Noah is finally home,” Brandy wrote. “Everything starts to improve once his kidneys start working again. It’s been a long and exhausting journey, but we finally see the light thanks to your prayers, love and support.”
Mom told people The frightening ordeal changed her perception of what really mattered.
“When the person you love (especially your child) suddenly becomes seriously ill, everything changes immediately,” she said. “The world you know disappears before.”
Symptoms associated with spider bites vary from small to severe. Black Widow and Brown Reclusive Spider are some venomous spiders found in the United States that may pose a threat to outdoor workers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says biting deaths are extremely rare, but can occur in severe cases.
