DALLAS — As far as 12-year-old boys go, Titus Gurnell is pretty accomplished.
He’s been playing the piano for six years.
He also helped save his neighbor’s life.
A poisonous snake, lurking in Valeria Chavez’ front yard, bit her on the foot.
“There was an excruciating pain,” Chavez recalled. “It started swelling, and it was already turning colors.
Titus rushed next door to help. “She was asking if she was gonna die,” he said.
The young man said he called on his Boy Scout training as well as what he’d learned about snake bites watching cable TV. He told his mom to pull a shoelace from a boot.
“I took the lace out, wrapped it around her leg a few times, and then tied it off,” Titus said.
“For being so young, he seemed like he calmed me down,” Chavez recalled. “He knew what he was doing. It made me feel comfortable.”
Chavez hadn’t planned on going to the hospital, but Titus insisted. She was there for three days and is now recuperating at her mother’s house in Garland.
Dr. Kurt Kleinschmidt, chief toxicologist at Parkland Memorial Hospital, said a wide, loosely-applied tourniquet can slow the spread of venom, though it’s unclear if that has a medical benefit. He strongly advises the public to leave that technique to medical professionals.
Still, Chavez said she is grateful to Titus for his quick and calming action.
“He’s great; I love him,” she said. “I’m so grateful he was there.”