Kansas Mom Told She Had Days to Live After Mysterious Spider Bites at Family Campfire, GoFundMe Launched

A family campfire at a Kansas lake turned into a months-long fight for survival after a swarm of spiders left one mother with injuries no one saw coming.

KCRA reported on Monday, August 3, that Britagne Miller was at Cheney Lake with her family in May when several spiders crawled across her body and bit her multiple times. She didn’t think much of it until four days later, when a bruise near a bite on her calf began swelling painfully and sent her to the hospital.

Miller, who already lives with two blood clotting disorders and a compromised liver, needed emergency surgery to remove nearly 300 milliliters of blood clots from her leg, as reported by WKRC.

Her recovery took a turn when the wound became infected, and doctors later told her she was in end-stage liver failure. “They gave me three days to up to a month to live,” Miller told KCRA.

After weeks in intensive care, Miller left the hospital on July 11 to continue recovering at home. She said the ordeal pushed her to her breaking point before her family gave her the will to keep fighting.

Doctors were not able to confirm which spider bit Miller, though the wound’s appearance points to a brown recluse. Miller is now waiting to qualify for a liver transplant.

Her husband lost his job while caring for her, and the family has launched a GoFundMe to help cover medical and household expenses. The campaign has raised $25,635 of its $28,000 goal, from 442 donations.