Social media has made it possible for people to communicate information at a speed never seen before.
Additionally, this implies that alerts regarding possible threats might spread quickly, theoretically making everyone a little safer.
One such warning came from a mother a few years ago whose son had picked up some tree branches one day and then had a weird red mark on his skin that looked like a grid. He was hurried to the emergency room shortly after that. Andrea Pergola now wants everyone to be aware of something that might be able to save lives.
Logan, 15, felt a brief, intense pain when something stung him as he was gathering tree branches for his voluntary work.
His arm developed a red, grid-like mark in a matter of minutes, which quickly spread to become a full-fledged rash. The rash quickly seared with excruciating anguish, spreading up his arm to his chest.
Logan turned pale and became lightheaded as well. In an attempt to extract the venom, his mother cleaned the area and applied garlic (which is supposedly effective for bug stings). Despite her best efforts, nothing appeared to have an impact.
Logan’s granddad found the insect that stung him. Putting on heavy gloves, he put it in a bag and gave it a closer look.
It was a fuzzy and “cute” caterpillar. But as it turned out, it was also one of North America’s most deadly caterpillars. Online research led Andrea to the conclusion that she needed to get Logan to the ER as soon as possible.
Andrea posted on Facebook, urging people to “research this caterpillar, be aware of it, and make your kids aware of it.”
It is a native of Texas, not Florida, and it has moved here temporarily. Please go to the emergency room (ER) and let them treat you if you or your child has been stung. We were unaware that he had been stung so frequently, and taking regular over-the-counter Benadryl at home would not have addressed this, I can promise you.
