LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A North Las Vegas family is warning others to make sure their homes are sprayed for pests after their toddler had to be rushed to the hospital after being stung by a scorpion.
Using a black light to uncover scorpions is now a fun indoor adventure for Bronson and Brielle. But just a week ago a scorpion they couldn't see sent their little brother, two-year-old Clayton, to the hospital.
It’s an experience their father Cole Orgill will never forget.
"After the ambulance ride and seeing what my two-year-old had to go through,” said Orgill. “It was definitely more of an eye opener to be more mindful."
The kids were in the play area in sleeping bags when Cole and his wife heard Clayton crying.
"But it was louder than usual, so my wife gets up and she goes to get him to see what's wrong,” Orgill said.
When his wife brought the child into their bedroom, she felt a sting and then they saw a scorpion fall onto their bed.
She was fine, but it was Clayton’s reaction to the sting that was truly terrifying.
"He started having like these mini seizures,” Orgill said. ” We knew something was definitely up and that's when we rushed him to the emergency room."
The doctors were unable to see a mark on his skin and at first weren’t sure the child had actually been stung.
"They thought it was night terrors,” Orgill said. “And I told them we have three kids! We know what night terrors are. This is not night terrors!"
Clayton was then rushed to sunrise where doctors recognized Clayton's tiny body and young nervous system was reacting much stronger to the venom than an adult or older child would.
"The doctor said the reason it affects them more is just because they are so light,” said Orgill. ” We had him on the scale he's around 12 pounds."
Trent English is with Truly Nolen Pest Control. He said cooler temperatures in southern Nevada that lingered into late spring kept scorpions in hibernation longer, but now they're out.
"These guys were hunkered down in the walls, “English said. “They are reanimating because of the warmer weather and what happens is they get lost up inside these attics, inside the walls and they just follow airflow and people are starting to see them pop down into the homes.”
He shared some advice.
"When you are battling scorpions on the inside you need to seal from the inside out.”
But Orgill had some advice of his own.
“Whatever you’ve got to do, do your thing. Like rid the house of them whatever it takes!”
