Venomous spider bite leaves mum with $1.3k a week medical bill and risk of cancer
A woman has been left with mounting medical bills after she was bitten by a venomous spider.
Jenna Allen, from Victoria, Australia, was volunteering in her hometown after it was devastated by a flash flood back in 2014 when she went to pick up a pair of shoes.
However, as she put her hand in the box to grab them, she was bitten on her left arm by a redback spider, which is also known as the Australian black widow.
The nasty bite left the 28-year-old with marks on her arm and she soon began to throw up and suffer from stomach cramps.
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She was then rushed to hospital and administered with anti-venom before being placed on the intensive care unit.
While a skin graft helped for about a year, it eventually opened up and Jenna was left in constant agonising pain.
Despite her having medical insurance, the rare condition isn't fully covered and she has to fork out $1,300 a week on bandages and dressings, which she are applied by a doctor.
On top of that, the mum is terrified she may develop cancer after doctors detected pre-cancerous cells during tests.
She said: "I am constantly worried about how I'm going to afford my next bandage.
"I have even re-washed and re-used a bandage before because I didn't know how I would afford my next one.
"All of my bandages get put on a payment plan, so I am constantly in debt."
The dance teacher says she is in so much pain that she can't even hug her own kids.
"I just want to be able to cuddle my children and to find a cure for my bite," she said.
"I have been to countless doctors and medics, and no one has any answers.
"It is taking a huge emotional mental and emotional toll on my family and loved ones - I just want to be able to hold my children and give them hugs.
"I used to pass out and have convulsions when the dressing was changed because it hurt so much, I had to be put under anaesthetic."
It's hoped that Jenna will be able to undergo another skin graft, though this depends on how large the wound gets.
She said: "I am really running out of options, and I am so thankful to those who donate but so much of the costs I have to cover myself.
"I hope one day to train to be a paramedic so I can help others in need.
"Going through this has opened my eyes as I have experienced so much, and it has made me a better person."
Jenna’s friend set up a GoFundMe to help pay for her medical bills.
Dominic Smithers