An Illinois boy who touched pokeweed during yard work suffered anaphylactic shock and was hospitalized for two days, his mother said.
Rayden Vollrath, 7, was helping clear his family’s Pike County property when he pulled the toxic plant without gloves, his mother, Danielle Carnicelli, told WGEM. The pokeweed’s milky sap got on his nails, and when he scratched his face the exposure triggered a severe allergic reaction that progressed to anaphylaxis.
“He went to scratch his face and then ended up being an allergic reaction and then progressed to anaphylactic shock,” Carnicelli said.
The boy’s face and arms swelled dramatically, with burning sensations spreading across his skin as he struggled to breathe. The episode kept him awake through the night with pain so intense that nurses threw rags on him at 3 a.m. In an effort to fight the swelling, Carnicelli recalled. She described the experience as “traumatic.”
“It hurt. A lot. My chest was burning and I couldn’t breathe,” Rayden said of the ordeal.
At the hospital, Carnicelli learned that her son was not only exposed to pokeweed but also specifically allergic to the toxic plant. Medical staff sent the family home with an EpiPen and eight different medications to manage his symptoms, including the pronounced facial swelling that left him puffed and red.
“Rayden is a spit fire and with all glory to god himself for this recovery,” Carnicelli wrote in a Facebook update.
The relieved mother said the episode served as a learning experience that she hoped would spread awareness about the dangers of pokeweed. All parts of the pokeweed plant are toxic to humans, including its roots, leaves and stems, according to the National Institute of Health. Its sap can cause severe skin irritation and blistering, and it can be fatal to both humans and pets if eaten.
In the viral moment that drew widespread attention, a routine family chore turned life-threatening when the Pike County second-grader handled one of North America’s most notoriously toxic weeds. Pokeweed, recognizable by its clusters of purple berries, has long plagued Midwestern yards and pastures, though severe allergic reactions like Rayden’s remain relatively rare. The plant’s sap contains compounds that can penetrate skin barriers, and medical literature documents cases where casual contact has led to systemic reactions requiring emergency intervention.
PAGES: