Family of California toddler bitten by deadly snake charged $300K for life-saving antivenom

Brigland ‘Brigs’ Pfeffer had just turned two when his parents were faced with the very real chance he could die.

The little boy was playing in his San Diego, California backyard when he ran to his mom yelling he had been bitten by a snake.

His mom, Lindsay Pfeffer, said she could only see the ‘smallest little drop’ of blood on his right hand between his index and thumb fingers.  

But the reality was that a deadly dose of venom was quickly circulating through his small body – and the antivenom to save his life would cost nearly $300,000.

The family was going to go to their nearest urgent care but a 911 dispatcher told to them to wait for an ambulance because urgent cares don’t stock antivenom.

Mrs Pfeffer, told local CBS8: ‘He was laying down on the sidewalk out in front [of the house] just flat; just sweating and he wasn’t moving.’

The ambulance rushed the toddler to Palomar Medical Center Escondido 25 minutes away, the nearest facility with antivenom, marking where the poison was traveling up his arm.

But when they arrived at the hospital, doctors couldn’t start an IV to deliver the antidote because snake venom constricts veins and makes access difficult, so doctors had to drill into Brigs’ leg to administer the antivenom.

BRAVE BRIGS: Brigland Pfeffer. Doctors hooked up Brigs to monitors and put shock pads on his chest in case his heart stopped beating

Mrs Pfeffer said: ‘I thought he was going to die; we all thought he was going to die and even the doctors thought he was going to die. 

‘When they started to put the pads on to shock him and I saw his blood pressure going down… we knew it wasn’t good. 

‘His whole arm was black and I was like “I don’t want his last memory to be me screaming.”‘ 

Once stabilized, Brigs was transferred to Rady Children’s Hospital where he stayed in the intensive care unit for several days, but doctors were still unsure if he would survive. 

His mom added: ‘Nobody understands how he is alive.’

Antivenom is most effective when administered within 24 hours, but experts stress immediate care is vital. 

It often takes more than a dozen vials of antivenom to treat a snakebite, typically costing thousands per vial. 

The median number per patient is 18 vials, Dr Michelle Ruha, an emergency room doctor in Arizona and former president of the American College of Medical Toxicology, told The Washington Post. 

Brigs required more than 30 vials to treat his Southern Pacific Rattlesnake bite, and after several days of treatment, the toddler was sent home to continue his recovery. 

FAMILY SHOCK: Brigs spent several days in the intensive care unit before being well enough to return home to his family (pictured here)

While the venom is no longer a threat and the swelling in his hand and arm has decreased, Brigs’ mom says he’s become a lefty as nerve damage and scar tissue have left him unable to use his former dominant right hand.

Rattlesnake bites are relatively rare, with about 8,000 people being bitten by any kind of venomous snake yearly, but CBS8 reported rattlesnake sightings are on the rise across San Diego County, according to county data. 

The area has received 99 calls related to snake sightings between May 2019 and May 2024.  

The bites lead to severe pain and swelling at the spot where it occurred and can cause excessive bleeding, as well as nausea and swelling in the throat, making it difficult to breathe.

The snake’s venom caused swelling and bruising in Brigs’ arm from his right fingers up to his armpit

The two-year-old was bitten by a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (pictured here)

The venom in snakes’ fangs damages tissues and affects the circulatory system by destroying skin and blood cells, leading to internal bleeding.

Mortality rates vary, but death is fairly rare, ranging from three percent without antivenom and 0.3 percent with the treatment.

However, there can be serious lasting complications from a bite, including tissue loss, deformity or loss of some bodily function, depending where the bite is.

Despite Brigs being out of the woods, the Pfeffers’ ordeal wasn’t over. Soon after returning home, his family received a bill for $297,461, with the antivenom accounting for $213,278.  

The Post reported that Brigs received Anavip antivenom at two different hospitals that charged two different prices.  

Palomar, where emergency staffers treated the boy, charged $9,574 per vial, totaling $95,746 for the starting dose of 10 vials of Anavip.

Brigs’ mom says he’s become a lefty as nerve damage and scar tissue have left him unable to use his right hand

Then Rady’s, the largest pediatric hospital on the west coast, charged $5,876 for each vial of the 20 Brigs received there, totaling $117,532.

Most insurances don’t cover antivenom or reimburse at a price far lower than what hospitals charge patients. 

Brigs’ insurance company was eventually able to negotiate down the price of the antivenom by tens of thousands of dollars and the family paid $7,200 in the end. 

However, insurance did not cover one of Brigs’ two ambulance transports, which is being billed for an additional $11,300.