A Southern California family is recovering from a terrifying ordeal after their 3-year-old daughter was bitten by a venomous rattlesnake that had been concealed beneath a package left in their yard.
The child, identified as Addy, ran outside her Santa Clarita home after being told a delivery had arrived for her. As she reached for the padded envelope, a Southern Pacific rattlesnake hiding underneath struck her left hand. Her father, Manuel Barajas, said neither the girl nor her mother noticed the snake before the bite occurred.
Addy’s mother rushed her to a nearby parking lot, where paramedics took over and transported her to a hospital. She was given an initial dose of antivenom before being moved to a second facility equipped with a pediatric intensive care unit. She remained in the ICU for two days and received two more doses of antivenom before her condition stabilized.
Her father said Addy is now roughly 70 percent recovered, though bruising remains visible on her hand. He described her spirits as high, adding that she has repeatedly asked why the snake bit her.
The family shared their story to warn other parents about rising rattlesnake activity in the region and to highlight the importance of knowing which hospitals are prepared to treat venomous bites in young children.
Officials note the case comes during a sharp rise in snakebite incidents across Southern California this year, with close to 250 reported bites and three deaths recorded by early July. Experts believe an unusually intense heat wave earlier in the year pushed snakes into more active periods, increasing encounters with humans.
In a separate case highlighting the danger, an out-of-state visitor to California nearly died after a rattlesnake bite required 54 doses of antivenom and a 12-day hospital stay.
A fundraising campaign has since been set up to help Addy’s family cover mounting medical costs and lost income during her recovery.
