Alabama man paralyzed, 'fighting for his life' after coral snake bite, family says

A Eastern Coral Snake. (iStock)

An Alabama man who was recently bitten by a venomous coral snake is now "fighting for his life," his family said.

A coral snake, considered to be one of the most venomous species of snake in North America, recently bit Jeffrey Phillips outside his Gilbertown, Alabama home.

Phillips’ children were the first to spot the snake. Initially thinking the serpent was a harmless king snake, Phillips decided to catch it and give the snake as a gift to his older brother, who has owned snakes in the past, WTOK-News reported.

But shortly after, the dangerous coral snake bit Phillips. He was rushed to Anderson Hospital in Mississippi, where he remains in the intensive care unit.

Phillips, who is now paralyzed due to the snake's venom, has also suffered neurological and vision damage. And, up until Friday afternoon, Phillips was breathing through a ventilator.

“He will then need extensive physical therapy to learn how to walk, eat, write and all other every day activities,” according to Phillips’ GoFundMe page, which was set up to help the family pay for his medical expenses.

“He was about to start a job actually in a couple of weeks. So, he was laid off for the time being. He was about to start a job but he can’t do that now,” Angela Patrick, Phillip’s fiancée, told WTOK-News.

The couple was slated to marry in August — but due to Phillips’ condition, the wedding is now on hold.

"Everyday we are seeing improvements and are overwhelmed by the support from all over. We are definitely blessed," Patrick told Fox News on Saturday morning. She declined to comment further.

“I’ve had my breakdowns, you know trying to hold it together. It’s scary knowing that my son could die,” Judy Kell, Phillips’ mother, said.

“I hate that it was him, I really do,” Patrick told the news station. “I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”