A father and son were stung only six weeks apart, and both experienced allergic reactions. Now, they receive treatment together and are back to enjoying the outdoors. Don’t miss out on this inspirational venom immunotherapy success story.
A Normal Hike Gone Wrong
In August 2017, the Crotty family went on a hike in the Pacific Northwest: Laura, her sons Jay and Charlie, her cousin, and her cousin’s son. They spend a lot of time outdoors, and this day was no different until Jay was stung on the back of the head.
“At first, my ears starting hurting really bad, and my eyes swelled shut,” Jay recalls.
The family was hiking in the middle of nowhere. They were at least a 20-minute hike from their cabin. Then, they were another 30 minutes away from an emergency room by car. Laura was terrified, running down a gravel road as fast as she could.
In the car, Jay told his mother multiple times that he loved her, and she would say it back, comfortingly. Thankfully, they made it to an urgent-care facility.
“It was the most traumatic moment of my life as a mother,” Laura shares.
Another Emergency Six Weeks Later
Laura’s husband, Matt Crotty, took Jay and Charlie on a backpacking trip six weeks later. While in a remote location, Matt was stung on the thumb. Almost immediately, he sensed a tingling sensation in the middle of his body. Soon, the feeling traveled to his face, and he became dizzy.
Thankfully, he was alright. But enough was enough.
Seeking Preventative Help: Venom Immunotherapy
Laura called the family’s primary care physician and asked for a referral to an allergist. Not too long after, the father and son were seen by Dr. Steven Kernerman at Spokane Allergy and Asthma.
“It is heartbreaking to see a child who has a severe reaction who might not be able to go to the fair, might not be able to play baseball,” Kernerman says. “The most important thing, I think, about people who that have a bee sting allergy or a yellow jacket allergy or a wasp allergy that’s serious is to know that there’s an extremely effective treatment for it. They do not have to live their life in fear of their next bee sting. Venom immunotherapy is probably one of the more effective therapies that an allergist has in their arsenal.”
Both father and son started venom immunotherapy treatment and experienced relief.
No Longer Living in Fear: Venom Immunotherapy Success Story
Since starting venom immunotherapy, Jay has been stung twice. He has not had any type of reaction.
“And apparently, after I’m done with the venom treatment, I’m going to be even better at getting stung than an average person. So that’s cool,” explains Jay. “It’s like having a superpower or something like that. Also, since I know that I’m fine, I’ve kinda just completely forgot about it so I can just live like normal, you know.”
And that’s the goal. People with severe bee sting allergies should not let it hinder their quality of life. Instead, connect with a medical provider and learn if venom immunotherapy is right for you. Who knows, maybe you will have your own venom immunotherapy success story, too.
