The little girl and the tiny jellyfish

[Gob]

A 10-year-old Australian girl who survived being stung by the world's most venomous creature, the deadly box jellyfish, may have rewritten medical history, an expert says.

Schoolgirl Rachael Shardlow lost consciousness after being badly stung by the jellyfish while swimming in a river in Queensland with her brother in December, but lived to tell the tale.

"When I first saw the pictures of the injuries I just went: 'You know to be honest, this kid should not be alive,'" said Jamie Seymour, professor of zoology and tropical ecology at James Cook University.

"I mean they are horrific. Usually when you see people who have been stung by box jellyfish with that number of the tentacle contacts on their body, it's usually in a morgue," he told the ABC.

Often deadly, the box jellyfish has long, trailing tentacles and is able to squeeze through even the smallest of nets as it is only the size of a fingernail.

The venom is so overpoweringly painful that victims often go into shock and drown or die of heart failure before reaching shore.

There is no effective antivenom for its sting, which attacks the heart, nervous system and skin, inducing shooting muscle pain, vomiting and a rapid rise in blood pressure.

Rachael was pulled from the Calliope River, near the town of Gladstone, by her 13-year-old brother with the jellyfish's tentacles wrapped around her legs.

Before passing out, she told him could not see or breathe.

After the rescue, she spent six weeks recovering in hospital before returning home.

"I don't know of anybody in the entire literature where we've studied this where someone has had such an extensive sting that has survived," Professor Seymour said, adding that scientists were keen to monitor her recovery.

"From our point of view it's really useful information that you very seldom, if ever, get your hands on."

The girl's father, Geoff Shardlow, told the ABC that his daughter had suffered scarring to her legs and some short-term memory loss.

"We've noticed a small amount of short-term memory loss, like riding a pushbike to school and forgetting she's taken a pushbike," he said.

"The greatest fear was actual brain damage [but] her cognitive skills and memory tests were all fine."

http://www.smh.com.au/national/girl-sur ... -tre2.html

[The Hen]

That is truly amazing.

I wonder if the trick lies in whatever her brother did, or didn't do, when he pulled her out of the water?

[Aard Vark]

The only things I know of for Box Jellyfish is 1White Viniger 2 Pee on the affected area.

Now this is great if you are having chips with your picnick on the beach but if your not, well Just hope you don't get stung on the face.

[Sean]

I thought the only way to cope with that kind of sting was to lie perfectly still with pennies on eyelids and limit breathing severely...

[Aard Vark]

Well lots of people get stung every year. It is just really unlucky if you get tangled up in the tenticals like this girl did.
Most of the time you get one or two not the hole jellyfish. Add to that most of the time the jellyfish just brushes past and not entangles you.

This is just one more reason I don't swim in the sea. I live only a few hundred Km from where this happend and yes I have been to Gladston many times. Great fishing up that way.

[Crackpot]

Before passing out, she told him could not see or breathe.

Proofreader in aisle 10!

[Grim Reaper]

Here's a bigger picture of her leg:



Going to be a pretty interesting looking scar.

[Timster]

Bloody Hell! Lucky to be alive indeed.

That said. Saying that BJF are the size of a fingernail is not at all accuate. (Maybe when they are young sure.)

Fast Facts

Type: Invertebrate

Diet: Carnivore

Average life span in the wild: Less than 1 year

Size: 10 ft (3 m) long; 10 in (25 cm) across

Weight: Up to 4.4 lbs (2 kg)

Group name: Fluther or smack
Did you know? Sea turtles are unaffected by the sting of the box jellyfish and regularly eat them.

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: See pic at Nat Geo http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/box-jellyfish.html

On a side note: That looks like a full sleave tattoo that would make any Biker or Punk Rocker proud to have.

[Crackpot]

all depends how it heals

[Gob]

Pain aside, it is fucking beautiful.

If you are going to be scarred for life, you'd want it to look like that wouldn't you?

[Rick]

Cammo...

[The Hen]

I hope she never feels ashamed or embarrassed to show that scar. She should be dead, she isn't, that is what she lives with.

It is almost a Harry Potter vs Voldemort situation.

Maybe the ultimate evil force in reality is some kind of despair squid.