Teen girl hospitalized after being bitten by snake she mistook for harmless grass snake in Virginia Beach

A 15-year-old girl was walking near a beach with friends when she spotted what she thought was a harmless snake on May 31 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Far from suspecting that it was in fact a young moccasin with a copper head, the American took the pose with the animal. Seconds later, the poisonous snake attacked her in the arm. The teenager was rushed to hospital, where staff administered antivenom.

“She is currently under observation, her arm has swollen severely,” said her mother. on Facebook. The American has chosen to share her daughter’s misadventure on social networks, in the hope of raising awareness among the inhabitants of the region. “Dear parents, make sure your children know that while nature is beautiful, it can be dangerous,” she wrote. The mother of the family was far from suspecting that her post was going to affect the whole world and that the unpleasant comments were going to flow.

“Stop texting me. It’s weird”

In a long update written on Friday, Ashley advised Internet users to keep their opinions to themselves. “We don’t care what your opinion is, you can keep it. We love our daughter and she knows what she did was stupid,” replied the American. Visibly annoyed, Ashley also ironically rebuffed internet users sending her prayers: “That’s nice, but we’re not believers. Jesus does not “cure” my child, modern medicine does,” she reacted. “And stop texting me. It’s weird,” added the mother.

The next day, the American announced that her daughter had returned home and was fine. In a calmer tone, she thanked Internet users for their support. “We hope this message reaches everyone who lives in our area so that other children, teens and young adults are safe,” she wrote. Ashley added that her daughter still loves snakes just as much, but she would think twice about it the next time around. “She doesn’t blame (the animal) for her bad decision. It was a hard learning curve for him,” says Ashley.