Georgia mom dies after stepping on hill of FIRE ANTS and suffering allergic reaction
Georgia mom dies after stepping outside her home on the FIRE ANTS hill and having an extreme allergic reaction to the bug bites — after posting an ER photo in 2018, begging, “What if the ants get me?”
- Cathy Weed stepped on a pile of fire ants at her home in Lawrenceville on Saturday
- Her family believes she died before she could get medicine for the bites
- The mother explained her severe allergy to fire ants in a Facebook post in 2018
A Georgia mom has died after stepping on a mound of fire ants — years after she issued a warning about her severe allergy to the emergency room bugs.
Cathy Weed, 43, came across the insect pile Saturday at her home in Lawrenceville, about 30 miles northeast of Atlanta, according to her family.
Her family believes she died before she could receive medication, NBC affiliate WYFF reported.
In 2018, Weed had shared a photo of her swollen face in the ER on Facebook, explaining her deadly allergy.
“I have been highly allergic to fire ants since about 3 years ago. I carry an EpiPen with me everywhere I go,” she wrote. “In the past 3 years I have had to use an EpiPen 6 times. The 6th time is this Saturday evening.’
Cathy Weed, 43, died Saturday after stepping on a pile of fire ants, according to her family
In 2018, Weed shared a photo of her puffy face in the ER on Facebook, explaining her deadly allergy
The mother shared that she ended up in the hospital after trying to use an EpiPen that had expired and didn’t work to calm the reaction.
“I was covered in hives from head to toe, threw up, had a panic attack, felt my ear canals and throat swell within minutes of the bite,” Weed wrote.
“Having an allergy like that is no joke. It is scary. It’s life-threatening. With every bite I take, if I don’t have an EpiPen nearby, the reaction gets worse.”
She went on to say that she was informed by the pharmacy that there was a shortage of EpiPen, which worried her.
“I’m going out of town for vacation this weekend and it makes me very uncomfortable. What if an ant gets me while I’m out of town? Benadryl is not touching this!!!!” said weed.
The Mountain View High School baseball team, for which Weed’s 15-year-old son plays, honored her on Sunday
The team’s players were pictured standing with Weed’s son on the field and comforting him
‘Keep track of your recipes! Make sure they are not expired! Go to your doctor and get a prescription before using your last one because who knows how long it will take to fill,” she warned.
The Mountain View High School baseball team, for which Weed’s 15-year-old son plays, honored her on Sunday.
The team’s players were pictured standing with Weed’s son on the field and comforting him.
“Her son Gray was her whole world, and she was his,” coach Scott Johnson wrote on Facebook. “It is a very difficult time for our community and families as Cathy was an absolutely wonderful person and loved by all.
“I am very proud of our Bears baseball players for loving their teammate last night and over the weekend, and I know they will continue to raise the Weed family through this difficult time.
The community has raised more than $8,000 for meals for Weed’s family.
An autopsy to determine the official cause of death is pending.