The Queensland toddler who has spent the last 10 weeks in hospital after he was bitten repeatedly by a deadly coastal taipan could be discharged as early as next week, his mother says.
Eli Campbell, 2, was collecting eggs from a chicken pen on his family's property at Agnes Waters when he was bitten three times on the leg by the snake on September 26.
![Two-year-old Eli Campbell has spent the last 10 weeks in hospital after he was repeatedly bitten by a snake.](/web/20161205180114im_/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/t/p/q/9/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gt44d7.png/1480922431745.jpg)
The young boy suffered a cardiac arrest and was revived by paramedics and spent more than a week in an induced coma after suffering significant swelling on the brain.
Posting to a gofundme page set up for the family, Eli's mother Brittany said the past 10 weeks had been a "roller coaster" for her and Eli's father Giles, their boy was making considerable improvements.
She wrote that Eli had managed to gain more control of his right hand, is able to sit and stand on his own and took his first unassisted steps about two weeks ago.
He uses Ankle Foot Orthosis boots for stability to his lower legs and ankles and is looking to master the stairs next, Ms Campbell wrote.
"It goes to show there can sometimes be positives in what seems like a very negative situation," she wrote.
"We are so so thankful that our boy is fighting, not giving up, and showing no signs of slowing down."
The toddler also passed an eye test and has been able to increase his vocabulary.
"Eli is beginning to develop his vocabulary again, using some words and phrases he used prior to the incident but also lots of new words he's never even attempted before," Ms Campbell wrote.
"An amazing moment for Giles and I was while walking along the Brisbane River at South Bank, Eli looked at the water and said "ocean" (Ocean is what he used to call most bodies of water before the incident).
"We just looked at each other with teary eyes and said "he can see"."
Ms Campbell wrote while her son had made some progress in terms of his eyesight and vocabulary, he could have trouble interpreting what he sees or his ability to recognise things could come and go in the future.
The family has rented an apartment near Lady Cilento Children's Hospital where Eli is being cared for, to ensure he continues to have access to care once he is discharged, which Ms Campbell said would possibly be as early as next Friday.
"We intend to be in for at least the next 6 months so Eli can still access the best care in the area and his brother will also be born in the hospital next door to the Lady Cilento," she wrote.
"It will be amazing to have our boy at "home" with us so we can start to rebuild our lives together again."