Mountain Brook Girl Recovering After Saving Siblings From Copperhead

MOUNTAIN BROOK, AL — After being bitten twice by a copperhead, Anna Claire Pledger is relaxing at home with the two younger siblings she saved from the same fate last week.

On Wednesday, Sept. 6, Anna Claire, 8, Adelaide, 6, and Anderson, 5, were out playing in a wooded area by Mountain Brook Junior High School football field where their older brothers Ayden and Alec, both 9, were practicing, when Anna Claire felt something sharp on her leg. The Brookwood Forest Elementary student realized it was a snake and urged Adelaide and Anderson to run to their father, who was watching the practice. After making sure her siblings had cleared the area, she was bitten again as she attempted to flee.

Anna Claire's father John Pledger, a teacher and coach, and another father identified the snake and the bite, and Anna Claire was rushed to the hospital, where medical professionals acted quickly to begin treating the bite.

"It was really scary at first," said Maryann Pledger, Anna Claire's mother. "I'm just a history teacher; I don't know anything about snake bites. I wasn't sure if she was going to die or lose her foot. But once I got [to the hospital], I was immediately reassured."

Anna Claire's story was picked up by local media, and the 8-year-old was heralded as a hero for the way she behaved in the woods.

"There's been a lot of people commenting and complimenting Anna Claire, but everyone who knows her wasn't surprised," Maryann said. "They said, 'We already knew this. This is just like her.'"

While Maryann is proud of Anna Claire, she said Adelaide and Anderson's behavior has impressed her just as much.

"Anderson has been so scared to touch her or hurt her and just wants to makes sure she's getting better," she said. "Adelaide has always been interested in medicine and has wanted to know what's been going on, investigating IVs, asking about blood work... A nurse commented on how observant she was. As a parent, that's really what you want to see from your kids."

The response in Mountain Brook to Anna Claire has been incredibly positive, which Maryann lends to being a part of a loving and inclusive community, from everyone who's reached out in the wake of the event to the parents who watched Ayden and Alec while John went to the hospital with Anna Claire.

Anna Claire is making a full recovery, and is currently taking antibiotics and getting back to her "normal self," Maryann said.

"She's already back to playing outside," Maryann said.

Photo Courtesy of Maryann Pledger