Queensland toddler Eli Campbell’s battle to survive has captured the hearts of a nation. Bitten three times by one of the world’s deadliest snakes last month as he collected eggs, the prognosis for the tough little two-year-old has been far from positive.
But in a recent update posted by his parents Giles Campbell and Brittany Cervantes, they say their “sensitive but strong little boy” is showing signs of improvement they were too scared to even wish for.
“Our boy has been incredibly strong and determined since the day he was born,” Brittany, currently pregnant, writes on the [GoFundMe](](https://www.gofundme.com/2sb3acc|target=”_blank”) page. “I trust that there is fight in Eli. Giles and I see glimpses of our boy in that little body every day.”
Eli was bitten three times by a coastal taipan snake – the third most venomous land snake in the world – on September 26.
Eli suffered a cardiac arrest and was declared dead for almost six minutes but paramedics were able to revive him. Since he was taken to hospital, the outlook for Eli has been grim with predictions he will be blind and severely disabled, needing care for the rest of his life. Until now.
PHOTO: GoFundMe
Brittany revealed some significant signs that are giving her and Giles hope.
“His movements have increased over the last few days from only touching things to full on squeezing, rolling a ball up his chest, and even strummed the music therapists guitar!” she wrote.
“This past weekend, Eli managed to sit out of bed for an hour and a half up to 3 hours! Eli finally felt the sun on his skin and the wind in his hair for the first time in 3 weeks.
“It was the first time we (his parents) saw his pupils constrict as they have been nearly fully dilated since the incident. It was beautiful to see his eyes again.”
She said his eyes are one of the biggest health concerns. “The optometrist said his eyes are healthy we are just seeing the effects of his brain injury. He responds to bright lights, turns his head away and squints. But if you hold up his favourite toy or try to get him to track you, there is often little to no response.”
She also talked about how she and Giles are feeling. “(We) are constantly battling memories of the past of our energetic, playful, hilarious, sensitive but strong little boy.
“They creep up on us at times during his sessions when we see our boy limp in someone’s arms as they carry him from bed to his stroller and while songs are being sung that he would normally sing along to.”
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