A young woman who survived a cobra bite has revealed how she finally came to embrace her scars after the horror attack.
Mikayla Robbertse was having a typical evening at home and settling into bed for the night when the snake struck, having slithered between the sheets.
Life changed for Mikayla in a split second.
The creature – one of the most venomous in the young woman’s native South Africa – bit her twice, causing damage which has led to 41 surgeries.
While it nearly cost her life, Mikayla has powered through and learned to embrace her differences.
But the horror of what she went through is still always there in the back of her mind.
“I still have nightmares,” the 18-year-old said.
“I enjoy being outside but the fear that a snake might bite me again is always in the back of my mind.”
Mikayla was just five years old when the Mozambique spitting cobra struck at her family’s farmhouse in Lephalale in the Limpopo province of South Africa, reports Need To Know.
She said: “The first bite was on my elbow and the second was on my middle finger.”
The results of that night are still visible.
One finger was amputated when gangrene set in because it would have required too many surgeries to treat.
And she has since gone through a further 40 surgeries, leaving her with heavy scarring.
She also suffers inward damage, including chronic liver disease as a result of the venom.
Her grandmother and guardian, Charmain Robbertse was there that night, alongside her grandfather, Bertus.
After hearing her scream, they arrived at her room just in time to see the snake slither off her bed and flee.
Since then Charmain has been by Mikayla’s side, holding her hand during the many hospital visits and helping her as she went through the difficult rehabilitation process.
Her grandmother said: “After the snake bit her, her kidneys stopped working, her liver and lungs stopped functioning and the venom ate through all the tissue in her hand.
“A week later the doctors opened and cleaned all the wounds and she had to walk around with open wounds for two weeks.
“A piece of tissue was cut from her groin and temporarily transplanted onto her hand so doctors could do a skin graft.”
One of Charmain’s worst memories is of her granddaughter’s bent and disabled finger where the snake sank its fangs into her.
She added: ““Before they amputated it, that finger pulled her whole hand crooked.
“But she taught herself to hold cups and do everything with that misshapen little hand.
“They tried to save Kayla’s finger but it wasn’t to be.”
Mikayla said of the years following the removal of her finger: “When I was younger the kids teased me about my hand. It wasn’t great but I always told her [Charmain] that it was OK.
“If they didn’t tease me, they would have teased the next kid.”
Despite her lingering worries over another attack, Mikayla is thriving, and has learned to accept herself.
Now living in Middelburg, she said: “I’m in a happy place and I have so many people in my life who love me.
“It [my hand] doesn’t bother me.
“Children have always teased me about my hand and called me cruel names but I’ve learnt to live with it.
“I have a lot of support and that makes things easier.
“I’m happy and my family cares for me.”
Being a “typical teenager” living with her grandparents, Charmain said: “She slams doors, she’s full of moods, she’s in love one day and the next day it’s over.
“But we’re so grateful for her life.
“More than once doctors told us they wouldn’t be able to save her but when I look at her today I’m speechless to see how far she has come.”
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