Kansas mother hospitalized after spider bites faces liver transplant wait

Britagne Miller, a mother of four from Kansas, was bitten by several spiders while sitting around a campfire at Cheney Lake in May. Days later she developed a painful swelling that turned into a large hematoma on her calf, requiring surgery. The operation was complicated by pre-existing liver failure and blood-clotting disorders, prompting doctors to warn that she could bleed out.

Miller was admitted to Wesley Hospital in Wichita in early June, where doctors treated the hematoma but she subsequently contracted two infections, including a staph infection. According to statements posted on a GoFundMe page, multiple physicians told the family that Miller might have only days to a month to live and suggested hospice care after two weeks in the hospital, though she continued treatment.

The family’s fundraising campaign, launched to cover medical and living expenses, is close to its $60,000 target. In early July Miller was discharged to return home with her husband and children, who are aged 9 to 15. She remains in need of a liver transplant but is not yet eligible for the waiting list because her blood-clotting and laboratory values must be stabilized first, a process that could take several months.

"Before she can be considered for transplant surgery, doctors must get her blood clotting and labs stable enough to tolerate the operation," the GoFundMe page notes.

The Miller family continues to seek medical stabilization while awaiting further treatment options.