A California snakebite ordeal has left one man recovering from more than venom — after a staggering medical bill topped $1.3 million.
Chris Howarth was charged the eye-watering amount after being bitten twice by a rattlesnake in a case doctors found difficult to treat. His care ultimately required 54 vials of antivenom, according to his family.
Howarth, who lives in Idaho, was visiting relatives in Oroville, California, when the encounter happened. On a rainy day outside his mother’s home, he accidentally stepped on the rattlesnake and initially thought the sharp pain from its fangs was caused by thorns in the garden.
The symptoms escalated quickly. Howarth began struggling to breathe, his tongue went numb, and his lymph nodes started to swell, prompting his wife to move fast.
Jenny Howarth rushed her husband to a hospital in Oroville, where doctors administered 36 vials of antivenom before the facility ran out. Chris was then flown by helicopter to Stanford Hospital, where he received 18 more vials to bring the rattlesnake venom under control.
The antivenom alone drove up the cost, but Jenny said in a GoFundMe post that the final bill also included transfusions, CT scans, blood tests and other emergency care. The fundraiser, created to help ease the family’s financial burden, is seeking $12,000 and has already brought in $10,000.
Jenny said health insurance is expected to cover part of the cost, noting that the $1.3 million figure reflects the total before insurance payments are applied.
Even while Chris was still being treated, the couple worried about the mounting charges. Jenny said each vial of antivenom was billed at $13,000, while every night at Stanford Hospital cost $61,000.
Jenny said her husband is still recovering from the bite and is about “80%” right now.
“He still has some soreness and swelling in his leg, which gets worse with more activity,” she told Need to Know.
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“The worst part for him has been the lingering fatigue. He gets exhausted pretty easily,” she added.
Chris initially felt okay after the snake bit him for the first two days before he took a turn for the worse and needed the additional antivenom.
The family’s scariest moment came when Chris went into DIC, or Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation, when the body’s clotting system goes into overdrive and begins forming small clots throughout the bloodstream.
“The whole incident was pretty scary for our family while he was in the hospital and his condition was so up and down. We all got scared one night when he went into DIC. That’s when things got scary,” she said.
“We are so glad to have him home and on the up and up. We’ve definitely learned not to take our time together as a family for granted. You never know when it can be your last day,” she added.
Chris hasn’t been able to work since May 26 and used up his paid time off and sick leave, Jenny noted.
The family hasn’t received a paycheck from his employer in nearly 2 months.
“Just knowing we have big medical bills coming and he hasn’t received a paycheck in over seven weeks has us stressed about the future,” Jenny said.
She expressed appreciation to anyone who has given money to help them.
“We are so grateful for those who have donated,” she said.
You can donate here.
