Young girl poisoned by Hemlock plant, mum reveals horror rash

A shocked mother has warned others after her six-year-old daughter developed horrific swelling and a brutal rash after playing in the backyard.

A distressed mum has issued an urgent warning to other parents to be aware of a common backyard weed that poisoned her little girl.

Taking to Facebook, Chavana Neuweg shared photos of her six-year-old daughter, Ari, covered in painful welts and swelling after innocently sniffing a flower while playing in the family’s backyard, Kidspot reported.

But the greenery that Ari smelled was actually a deadly weed which can be found across Australia, with Chavana begging parents to “take it seriously”.

Chavana said Ari was prone to allergies, so at first they treated it like they would any other rash – with antihistamines, a cold compress and an oatmeal bath.

But by the next morning, Ari’s entire eye, ear and face were so swollen she was covered in a blistery rash.

For more stories like this, check out Kidspot

A mother has shared an urgent warning after her six-year-old daughter Ari suffered a horrific reaction to a common weed. Picture: Chavana Neuweg/ Facebook

Ari had been playing in the backyard of her family home before developing swelling and a rash. Picture: Chavana Neuweg/ Facebook

Ari poisoned by Hemlock plant

“She was having trouble breathing, acting lethargic, and just completely miserable,” Chavana wrote in a viral post, which has now been shared more than half a million times.

“We took her to the doctor and they gave her prednisone for poison. At this point we still weren’t sure what and where she could have come into contact with poison.

“By this evening the rash was still continuing to spread and her face was still extremely swollen. She barely talked at all and slept on and off all day.

“We decided to do a walk around our property to look for any plants that could have gave her this bad of a reaction. And then. we found it.”

Chavana discovered their property was lined with the dangerous plant, known as Poison Hemlock.

Mum Chavana had no idea her property was lined with the dangerous plant that sparked her daughter’s reaction. Picture: Chavana Neuweg/ Facebook

“This plant is deadly”

Chavana realised that Ari must have ingested some of the plant when she sniffed it.

Doing some search, Chavana, who is based in the US, realised just how serious things were.

“This plant is DEADLY. It’s considered one of the absolute worst and deadliest plants in America,” she wrote.

“It looks like a harmless weed but can grow over 10 feet tall. You will find it often along creeks, railroads, and ditches.

“The plant is unlike many others because it effects the nervous system and can cause nerve and muscle paralysis, vomiting, nausea, coma, muscle pain, seizures, convulsions, loss of speech, rapid heart rate, and much more.”

The Hemlock plant looks harmless but can result in horrific reactions and even death. Picture: Chavana Neuweg/ Facebook

Ari is expected to make a full recovery with the help of medications. Picture: Chavana Neuweg/ Facebook

Hemlock in Australia

Hemlock is a fernlike plant with little flowers that is “highly toxic to livestock and humans”, according to WeedWise NSW.

“In humans it is capable of causing serious illness or death, and all parts of the plant are poisonous when ingested,” WeedWise NSW says.

Thankfully, Ari is expected to make a full recovery with the help of medication, but Chavana wants her story to be a warning to others.

“I hope it saves others from having to experience this. Knowledge is power and at the end of the day,” she said.

This story originally appeared on Kidspot and has been reproduced with permission