Full Breakdown
Kansas Mother’s Spider Bite Leads to Life-Threatening Complications
8/5/2026, 5:48:04 PM
Incident and Hospitalization
On May 28, Britagne Miller of Goddard was at a campfire with her husband and four children at Cheney Lake when several spiders crawled over her, leaving multiple bites. Four days later the area around one bite on her calf swelled dramatically, prompting her to seek care. She was admitted to Wesley Hospital on June 4 and underwent emergency surgery to remove blood clots that had formed around the bite site.
Medical Details and Ongoing Care
During the operation physicians removed a large clot burden—reported as “almost 300 mL” by one source and “approximately 2 oz” by another. A surgical drain was placed, and within five days the wound became infected with a serious staphylococcal infection and a gram-negative “S-type” infection.
Doctors also diagnosed Miller with end-stage liver failure, warning that she had only days to a month to live. She declined hospice care and remained in intensive care for more than a month. After weeks of recovery, she was discharged on July 11 to receive at-home health care, physical therapy, and specialist visits. Her plan is to pursue a liver transplant once her hemoglobin levels can be stabilized.
Expert Input on Spider Risks
Dr. He advised residents to seal cracks, wear gloves when handling stored boxes, and shake or wash shoes before wearing them, as these are common hiding places for spiders.
Financial and Family Impact
Miller’s husband, Jake Miller, lost his job while caring for his wife and children. To offset mounting hospital bills and ongoing home-care costs, the family launched a GoFundMe campaign.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Spider identification: Physicians could not confirm the species; speculation points to a brown recluse based on the bite’s appearance.
- Clot volume: Sources differ on the amount removed (?300 mL vs ?2 oz).
- Transplant eligibility: Miller hopes for a liver transplant but has not yet been placed on the official list.
Official Statements & Responses
Hospital physicians described Miller’s condition as end-stage liver failure with a limited prognosis, emphasizing the urgency of the surgeries to remove clots and control infection. Dr. Cloyd’s comments focused on education and prevention, underscoring that proper home maintenance can reduce the risk of venomous spider encounters.
Why It Matters
Miller’s case shows how pre-existing blood-clotting disorders and compromised liver function increase danger from spider bites, and it highlights the financial strain of prolonged intensive care and the role of community fundraising.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The plan is to get a liver transplant once they can get my hemoglobin levels up,” — Britagne Miller, of Goddard.
- “The two venomous ones that we have in Kansas are the black widow spider, and the more numerous one is the brown recluse spider, which prevails throughout most of the Midwest to mid-central Kansas,” — Dr. Raymond Cloyd, horticultural entomologist at Kansas State.
