Potomac, MD – A woman in Montgomery County were bitten by poisonous snakes apparently disturbed by Irene.
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“I had no idea there were poisonous snakes in my backyard by the pool. I mean who would’ve thought that?” Debra Panitch wonders.
The Potomac resident found copperhead snake in her backyard around 6:30 last night. She was cleaning for a party in honor of her son’s bar mitzvah when she spotted the tiny little thing and picked it up to show her kids.
When she put it back down, it sunk one of its fangs into her thumb. As she later learned, baby snakes can’t control their venom, so it gave her everything that it had.
The mother’s hand began to swell to the point that it felt like the skin might burst. It’s good she sought medical help.
“If you don’t get something like this treated and its expanding, you can have very serious tissue damage you can lose your hand, or you can lose your life,” Dr. Erik Shobitz said.
Panitch worried she might steal the spotlight from her son on one of the most important days of his life. “This wonderful big celebration, and I didn’t want to be the center of attention, I wanted him to be the center of attention,” she says.
Baruch Hashem she is okay & she should have A complete Refuah Sheleima Amen!!!
a yiddishe mame, concerned she shouldn’t steal her sons attention on his special day. mazel tov to the boy and refueh shleimah to the mother.
Baruch hashem she is ok. She and Gershon are big machers at Beth Shalom on Seven Locks Rd and at the Berman Yeshiva. The snake probably came up from Cabin John Park since their home backs close to this area and there is a creek running through the park that has flooded the lower areas since the weekend. while not unusual in the park, they rarely come up to the residential area cul de sacs off Seven Locks where most frum yidden in Potomac live.
A refuah Sheleimah. But please, being the center of attention is not a value worth wanting. It’s a vain and futile desire.
nice lady good mother hopes she hands fully recover
Picking up snakes? What did she think she was a Pentecostal?
There was a case years ago in Florida, in a condo development, where an elderly Jewish woman was going for a walk, following a storm. There was a lot of debris around the condo; while she was walking on the walkway, she saw a log in her way. She kicked it out of her way. However, it turned out not to be a log, but an alligator. Fortunately, she was able to get away from there, before the alligator reacted. The Florida Wildlife Dept. was called, to deal with the alligator.
i truely hope she recovers but what a dumb thing to do if you dont know wehat it is why touch it
Who is she, Chava? What normal person sees a snake and thinks “Oh what a cute little thing?” Snakes are not kittens.
She thought it was the typical garden snake she gets, which is actually harmless.
Copperheads are very common in the northeastern United States. I’ve seen them very often while hiking. They are easily recognized if you know what you are looking for. The only other venomous snake in the northeastern United States is the timber rattlesnake, which is also easily recognized. More good news is that they are both naturally timid and will slither away from you if you give them the chance, and that neither has enough venom to kill an adult human. I wish Ms. Panitch a refuah shleimah.
all snakes run if possible but this is a case of a women playing with the unknown she is lucky though that it wasnt a rattle snake which is more deadly