Seven-Year-Old Nearly Dies After Touching Toxic Weed in His Own Backyard

A 7-year-old Illinois boy nearly died after a routine afternoon of yard work turned into a terrifying medical emergency.

Rayden Vollrath was helping his father and stepmother clear weeds from the family’s property in Pike County when he came into contact with pokeweed, a highly toxic plant known for its dark purple berries.

His mother, Danielle Carnicelli, said Rayden apparently got sap from the plant’s stalk on or underneath his fingernails.

Then he scratched his face.

Within a short time, Rayden began suffering a severe allergic reaction that quickly spiraled into anaphylactic shock.

His face and arms started swelling, his skin began burning and the little boy struggled to breathe.

“It hurt. A lot. My chest was burning and I couldn’t breathe,” Rayden later recalled.

He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors kept him for two days as they worked to control the frightening reaction.

Carnicelli described the ordeal as traumatic, saying her son was in so much pain that he could barely sleep. At one point, nurses were placing cool rags on him in the middle of the night to help ease the swelling and burning.

Doctors eventually determined that Rayden had not only been exposed to pokeweed, but was also allergic to the toxic plant.

The family was sent home with an EpiPen and eight different medications to help manage his symptoms, including the severe swelling that had left his face red and puffy.

Thankfully, Rayden began recovering.

“Rayden is a spit fire and with all glory to god himself for this recovery,” Carnicelli wrote in a Facebook update.

Now, his family is warning other parents about a plant that can grow in ordinary backyards and may look harmless at first glance.

Pokeweed is toxic to humans, and every part of the plant — including its roots, leaves and stems — can be dangerous.

The plant’s sap can cause serious skin irritation and blistering, while eating pokeweed can lead to severe poisoning and can potentially be fatal to both people and pets.

For Rayden’s family, what started as a simple day of clearing weeds became a frightening reminder that some of the most dangerous plants may be growing just feet from home.