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Mom of 4 recovering after suspected spider bite leads to severe complications: reports
By Sophia Compton
Published August 04, 2026
A Kansas mother of four is reportedly recovering after a suspected spider bite led to surgery, serious infections and a weeks-long hospital stay.
Britagne Miller of Goddard — about 14 miles west of Wichita — said she was sitting around a campfire with her husband and children at Cheney Lake May 28, when several spiders crawled on her and apparently bit her, according to local outlets KAKE and FOX Kansas.
Four days later, the area around one bite on her calf became swollen and painful, prompting her to seek medical care, FOX Kansas reported.
"This one kept swelling and swelling, and it was like, you know, a fire stir that's metal," Miller told KAKE. "It was like shooting down my leg into my foot, and it felt like it was being stabbed."
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Britagne Miller said she was sitting around a campfire with her husband and children May 28 when several spiders crawled on her and apparently bit her. (Jake Miller via GoFundMe)
Miller was admitted to Wesley Hospital in Wichita June 4 and underwent surgery, according to KAKE and a GoFundMe created by her husband, Jake Miller.
Her treatment was complicated by existing blood-clotting disorders, liver problems and allergies to certain medications, KAKE reported.
Miller later developed infections. Doctors also determined she was suffering from end-stage liver failure and warned her family that her condition could be fatal, according to KAKE.
Miller, who chose to continue treatment rather than enter hospice care, said she remembers little from her time in intensive care, according to the outlet.
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Britagne Miller said she remembers little from her time in intensive care. (Jake Miller via GoFundMe)
She was released from the hospital July 11 and is continuing her recovery at home.
Miller now requires home health care, physical therapy and regular visits with specialists. She also hopes to receive a liver transplant but is not yet eligible to be placed on the transplant list, according to KAKE and the GoFundMe.
Doctors have not confirmed what kind of spider bit her, KAKE reported.
Dr. Raymond Cloyd, a horticultural entomologist at Kansas State University, told KAKE the brown recluse and black widow are two venomous spiders commonly found in Kansas.
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Britagne Miller was released from a hospital July 11 and is continuing her recovery at home. (Jake Miller via GoFundMe)
Cloyd advised sealing cracks and using caution with boxes, shoes and other undisturbed items, KAKE reported.
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"We know there is still a long road ahead, but we are holding on to hope that one day this season will be behind us, and she will be able to continue doing what she loves most — being a mom, and someday a grandmother," the GoFundMe states.
The Miller family could not immediately be reached by Fox News Digital for additional comment.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/mom-recovering-suspected-spider-bite-leads-severe-complications