Grandfather Hospitalized After Throwing Himself Between Rattlesnake and Grandson
On Father’s Day, we thank our dads for being a part of our lives. They have provided for us, raised us and made many sacrifices for us. They are often our role models and heroes, especially as we grow up.
And when one man jumped in front of his grandson in the face of danger on Father’s Day, he became his hero.
Thatcher Nightingale, 43, was gathering berries with his 3-year-old grandson Shelton Dawkins in Callahan, Florida.
As they were picking the berries, Shelton noticed a snake under the bushes. “He was, like, ‘Poppa, snake. Poppa, snake,'” father Thatcher Dawkins said to News4Jax.
When Nightingale saw the snake, he realized it was a pygmy rattlesnake.
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, the pygmy rattlesnake is a small but thick snake with a small rattle that sounds like an insect buzzing. They are known to protect themselves by biting, and their venom can be very painful, and in some rare cases, fatal.
Knowing that this snake could hurt Shelton, Nightingale jumped in between the snake and his grandson to protect him from being bitten.
“He interfered with it and took the bite instead of my son,” Dawkins said.
Nightingale was bitten on his finger and the venom quickly traveled from his finger to his arm. It attacked his nervous system which created excruciating pain in his chest.
“He said he couldn’t image Shelton going through that pain because, even for a grown man his size, it was still curling him up,” Thatcher Dawkins said.
Shelton’s mother, Hayden Dawkins, was also grateful for Nightingale’s actions. She knew the dangers of getting bitten by this snake and what could’ve happened.
“Especially for a 3-year-old,” she said. “It probably would have traveled through his system a lot faster.”
Immediately after Nightingale was bitten, Dawkins killed the snake and brought it with them to the hospital so the doctors could know how to best help.
The venom created clots in his arm that could turn fatal, so the doctors are keeping an eye on him. As of Monday, he seemed alert, and doctors expect him to make a full recovery.
Because of this father and grandfather, a young boy gets another chance to live a long and healthy life. Nightingale risked his health to make sure Shelton would be safe. Having a father or grandfather like that is a true blessing.
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