Woman bit by snake in bed named as inaugural First Minutes Matter spokeswoman

It was a story ripped straight from an outback horror movie – a young woman is in bed when a brown snake slithers between the sheets and bites her. The tale captivated Australia and now the woman is on a mission to help others.

Kasey Leadbetter with QAS Flight Paramedic Scott Jones.

It was a story ripped straight from an outback horror movie – a young woman is in bed when a brown snake slithers between the sheets and bites her.

Panic sets in and help is hundreds of kilometres away as the snake’s venom courses through her body.

When this happened to Kasey Leadbitter while she was working as a nanny in Glenmorgan, she knew what to do in those vital first moments.

Lay still, breath, remain calm, apply a pressure bandage and call Triple-0.

It was these steps that saved her life and now the Brisbane woman is on a mission to prepare other Queenslanders for unexpected danger by signing up as the LifeFlight inaugural First Moments Matter spokeswoman.

The eastern brown snake slithered under Kasey Leadbetter's bedsheets revealing itself after she had jumped out of bed.

“Everyone can benefit from trauma training,” Ms Leadbetter said.

“If people know what to do after a medical emergency, they can help themselves or someone they love before help arrives.

“As soon as the snake bit me, my whole arm was on fire. I knew I didn’t have a lot of time. I knew I had to keep still. I knew I had to stay calm. I knew I had to get away from the snake and we had to get the pressure bandage on quickly.”

The story of Ms Leadbetter’s bite made the newspapers and television broadcasts across Australia, because it reinforced every anxiety we have about living in a country that is home to some of the world’s most deadly creatures.

Luckily, we have world-class medical personnel who are equipped to face that danger head on. Part of that involves access to services like LifeFlight that can get urgent medical help to people living in remote and rural parts of Queensland.

Being flown by LifeFlight means she was in hospital three times faster than if she’d been taken by road in an ambulance.

“I knew that if you are bitten by an eastern brown snake, you really only have about 30 minutes to an hour to get medical help,” Ms Leadbetter said.

“I knew I didn’t have a lot of time. I was thinking: ‘am I going to have enough time?’ so when I heard that LifeFlight was on the way I knew I was going to get to a hospital in time.

“The LifeFlight crew were amazing, but I was also lucky I knew what to do in my medical emergency.”

LifeFlight First Minutes Matters ambassador Kasey Leadbetter with LifeFlight Regional First Minutes Matters Educator Leah Harrison at the LifeFlight Toowoomba gala.

The Toowoomba-based LifeFlight Surat Gas Aeromedical Service (SGAS) helicopter aeromedical team landed on the remote property 300km west of Toowoomba to retrieve Kasey from the Glenmorgan cattle station she was working at and flew her to Toowoomba Hospital.

“Without LifeFlight, I wouldn’t be here today,” she said.

Ms Leadbetter was on hand to greet donors at LifeFlights annual gala dinner at the Goods Shed on Saturday.

The event was the largest on record with more than 700 patrons.

One lucky guest won a stunning 6ct forest green-hued tourmaline gemstone ring set in 18k yellow and white gold surrounded in tri-clusters of kite-cut diamonds valued at $21,000 in the Hogans Family Jewellers, balloon pop.

The event raised more than $1 million.

LifeFlight Toowoomba Gala at The Goods Shed was the largest on record, with 700 guests. . Picture: Kevin Farmer

Regional Advisory Committee Chair Gus Romero, thanked the organising committee, Gala partners, and local guests for their support.

“We couldn’t put on a night like this without the tremendous generosity of the volunteers who organise it, local businesses who support it and those who buy tickets and then try to out-bid each other all evening,” Mr Romero said.

“Our Toowoomba LifeFlight base is the busiest in Queensland and the money raised tonight will ensure it continues to thrive.”

Most of that money will be spent on the LifeFlights day-to-day operations, while also providing for First Minutes Matter educator Leah Harrison who started trauma training workshops in the Darling Downs and South West Queensland communities last month.