Mikah Kainine, in April has bounced back.
"He is doing remarkably well and has no trauma at all," said mom Jennifer Kainine.
Mikah, his younger siblings and the family dog Luna were playing in the backyard of their Calabasas home when he got bitten. "Our house backs into a mountainside so there's brush all over," said Kainine.
Bleeding and in pain, his first thought wasn't of himself but of his brother Jojo, 2.
"The blood was starting to drip down his leg but he kept telling me to get Jojo," said Kainine, recalling her son's selfless behavior. "But Jojo was not harmed."
Mikah was in the hospital for six days, receiving 25 vials of anti-venom. He was also on physical therapy for a week after.
"We got him a walker because he couldn't straighten his leg after all the swelling," said Kainine.
After a week, Mikah was off the walker. "We were told to get a wheelchair but he didn't even need it," said Kainine.
In May, Mikah was back to playing soccer and even played in the last game of the season. The incoming 2nd grader is currently attending summer camps and playing handball and other sports.
"He felt like a hero," said Kainine. "He knows he survived something very dangerous."
As for the often-asked question about new phobias, Kainine said, "Surprisingly, no, he hasn't developed a phobia for snakes."
Here's Kainine's advice to parents like her:
- Watch your kids all the time even if they're just in your backyard. "Now, if they want to play outside, I drop what I'm doing and head outside with them," said Kainine.
- Clear the bottom of your bushes or have them trimmed "lollipop-style" so you can see the bottom.
- Make sure that there is not a lot of dead vegetation or piles of debris around your house where snakes are likely to hide.
- Have snake fencing installed around your yard. It's finer than chicken wire.
- Don't stick your hands and feet in places where you can't see the entire area.
- Hire a pro like a snake wrangler who'll take a look around your property and point out potential snake entry points and hiding places.
- Call 911 if your child or anyone in your household has been bitten by a rattlesnake. It takes the hospital awhile to prep the anti-venom. The paramedics can call it in on the way.
Click here for Jennifer Kainine's blog about this ordeal.
