Agnes Water Taipan bite survivor Eli Campbell to celebrate 10th birthday

The family of the youngest Australian to survive a Taipan snake bite has revealed the lasting impact on their young son as he celebrates a milestone they never thought they would see. VIDEO, PICS

Whizzing down a zip line and meeting owls at Australia Zoo, you wouldn’t think young Eli Campbell came close to death eight years ago after being bitten by one of the world’s deadliest snakes.

The Agnes Water boy is the youngest Australian to ever survive the potentially lethal bite of a Coastal Taipan, which is in the top 10 of the world’s most venomous snakes.

He is now getting ready to celebrate his 10th birthday in July.

September 25, 2016 was a normal day for then two-year-old Eli and his mum Brittany Cervantes, but by that afternoon their lives changed forever.

It was a clear day and Brittany and Eli were outside riding their bikes and checking on their chickens at their Agnes Water home.

The old chook shed where Eli Campbell was bitten multiple times by a Taipan. Photo Lachie Millard

But during their time outside Eli was bitten on the leg, and the fight for his life began.

Brittany, who was pregnant with her second son at the time, called an ambulance and battled patchy phone reception on the journey to get her son to safety.

Upon getting Eli to the SES grounds, the Bundaberg-based LifeFlight helicopter landed and Eli went into cardiac arrest, 40 minutes after being bitten.

‘SHE BROUGHT HIM BACK TO LIFE’

Eli was revived by the flight paramedic and within 20 minutes had been flown to Bundaberg Hospital, with every minute between Agnes Water and Bundaberg critical.

“Doctors have told me that if he had have gotten to hospital any later then it would have been too late,” Brittany said.

“The window for the antivenene was closing.

“If it wasn’t for LifeFlight landing and reviving Eli and getting him to hospital so quickly, it would have been a different outcome for us.

“She brought him back to life.’’

“LifeFlight was the glue that held the whole thing together that day.”

Little Eli fought hard, spending a week in a coma, six weeks blind and then another three months in hospital rehabilitation.

Eli Campbell was just two years old when he was bitten by a deadly Coastal Taipan.

Despite his miracle recovery, Eli has ongoing complications from an hypoxic brain injury and epilepsy.

The family have since changed their lives to reduce Eli’s risk of infection, which can worsen his condition.

“Eli is going well. We do distance education out of Rockhampton, but we still live at the same property in Agnes Water,” Brittany said.

Eli Campbell and his family took a holiday to the Sunshine Coast where he met some owls at Australia Zoo.

“Eli has an epoxy brain injury and epilepsy. And it is worsened with infection. So, we’ve changed our lives to reduce his infection risk.

“He has long-lasting seizures. So, that’s the reason he does school online. He’s really strong and very clever and has a great sense of humour. And he’s obsessed with owls.”

Recently Eli and his family took a family holiday to the Sunshine Coast where he whizzed down a zip line and met some owls at Australia Zoo.

“Eli will be 10 soon and we recently took him on a holiday where he did the Treetop Challenge, ziplines and adventure courses,” Brittany said.

Eli Campbell reunited with the LifeFlight flight crew who flew him to hospital in 2021.

“He pushed through his barriers and fears and he just really smashed it out of the park. He truly looked alive.

“I think about LifeFlight a lot. It’s because of LifeFlight that everything worked out for Eli, LifeFlight was the glue that held everything together that day.”

In 2021 Eli was reunited with the heroes at the Bundaberg LifeFlight hangar who helped save his life.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET BITTEN BY A SNAKE

ABOUT THE COASTAL TAIPAN

According to Australian Geographic, the Coastal Taipan has highly toxic venom, however it’s not quite as potent as its cousin, and the most venomous snake in the world, the Inland Taipan.

It can be found all along the eastern coast of Queensland and into the very northeastern corner of New South Wales.

The Coastal Taipan is found along the east coast of Queensland. Pic: Fraser Coast Snake Catchers

The Coastal Taipan’s venom is rated as the third most toxic of all snake venoms in the world, behind the Inland Taipan and the Eastern Brown.

Its venom contains a number of poisons, the most powerful a neurotoxin that paralyses the nerves of the heart, lungs and diaphragm.

The venom also contains a powerful mycotoxin and procoagulant.