Last year, Sadie, age 5, was bitten by a rattlesnake on her right hand during a trip to her family’s ranch in West Texas.
“They were throwing rocks in the pond,” says Dillon, Sadie’s father. “She was standing right next to me, and she reached down to pick up a rock, and apparently, there was a rattlesnake under a leaf, and when she reached down to pick it up, the rattlesnake bit her on top of her hand.”
After receiving antivenom and emergency surgery at another facility, Sadie and her family were referred to Scottish Rite for Children to begin treatment with pediatric orthopedic hand surgeon and Director of the Center for Excellence in Hand Scott Oishi, M.D., FACS.
“How quickly they were able to get somewhere and get it treated is really why she has as much function in her hand as she does,” says Lindsey Williams, occupational therapist and certified hand therapist at Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center in Frisco.
Dr. Oishi performed a surgery to release Sadie’s tendons and ligaments to improve the mobility of her fingers and hand. Since then, Sadie attends occupational therapy sessions in Frisco to work on regaining full function in her hand by doing fine motor activities, like making sand art. While her treatment is not over, Sadie is on the path to recovery and is preparing for her first day of kindergarten.
Watch the full story on NBC 5.
