Local paramedic recovering from spider bite

What initially seemed like just a painful spider bite could have cost a Grand Island paramedic his life.

J.J. Wohlers was working at Fire Station 2 on July 10 when he awoke for a call with his arm throbbing.

After his shift, he showed the large bite on his upper arm to his wife, Janene, and they decided he needed to go to St. Francis Medical Center's emergency room.

A doctor there identified the injury as a spider bite and gave Wohlers some medication. He returned to the hospital the next day when his arm began changing colors. He was admitted immediately.

"The pain was just so intense," he said.

Wohlers spent 10 days in the hospital before going to Arlington, which is near Fremont, to recuperate at his parents' home. It was there the left side of his face went numb. So he went to the hospital in Fremont and was quickly sent off to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

"I was diagnosed with a stroke then," Wohlers said. "The spider's venom caused my blood to thicken."

He spent four or five days at UNMC, where he found out the bite was from a black widow, before heading back to Arlington. Two days later, he woke up with a severely swollen leg and found himself back at the Fremont hospital. He was again sent to UNMC, this time with a blood clot.

In Omaha, he was whisked into surgery after it was determined he had a blood clot stretching from his big toe to just above his navel. If the clot had grown for 15 more minutes, it could have killed Wohlers.

After four days in the intensive care unit and another day in recovery, he was allowed to return to his parents' home on Wednesday. He plans to stay there for at least another week.

Janene Wohlers, who hasn't worked during the ordeal, and the couple's two children returned to Grand Island so the kids could start school. Wohlers hopes to rejoin his family soon and wants to get back to work.

"I'm going stir crazy," he said.

But work will have to wait until Wohlers gets medical clearance from his physician.

"I feel like I was run over by a truck," he said.

During his hospitalization, Wohlers had many visitors from the Grand Island Fire Department as well as from departments in Lincoln and Omaha. He's widely known in the state because he's an instructor for paramedics and emergency medical technicians. His expertise earned him Nebraska Paramedic of the Year honors in March.

Wohlers, who started his EMT career in 1991, has been with the Grand Island Fire Department since October 2000, and he speaks very highly of his co-workers.

"They are the best guys on the planet," he said. "Not only do they care about each other, but when they go on calls, they give great care to anyone who needs it."

In addition to visiting Wohlers, many of the firefighters have helped the family with donations and well wishes.

Capt. Mark Bonser sent out an e-mail to all of the fire departments, volunteers, instructors and members of the Nebraska Emergency Medical Service Association in his address book to let them know what had happened to Wohlers. He's received quite a response.

Like Wohlers, Bonser was surprised to find out that black widow spiders are common in Nebraska. After Wohlers was bitten, the city had the fire station fumigated, and an exterminator has visited, as well.

"They are being proactive," Bonser said.

Capt. John Mayer said city firefighters have taken up a collection to help the Wohlers family financially, and the Grand Island Rural Fire Department is planning a fundraiser.

Wohlers was in serious condition but has improved, though he has a lengthy recovery ahead of him, Mayer said.

"We hope he's able to come home soon," Mayer said.

In the meantime, the guys on Wohlers' shift know he'll need help around the house once he returns home. Some firefighter also helped gather school supplies for his children, giving the family one less thing to be concerned about, Mayer said.

Like her husband, Janene Wohlers has thanked the firefighters and paramedics for their generosity and help, something Mayer said he knows can be hard to accept.

"We just keep convincing her that firefighters pretty much take care of their own no matter what," he said.


How to help

Donations for J.J. Wohlers and his family can be sent to the:
J.J. Wohlers Relief Fund
c/o Grand Island Firefighters Union Local 647
1419 Independence Ave.
Grand Island, NE 68803