A toddler has been left blind and unable to walk after being stung by a deadly scorpion.
Three-year-old Raimundo Neto was at his aunt's house when he was struck by the arachnid in Barbalha, Brazil.
His mum took him to hospital within half an hour and he underwent tests.
After being placed under observation, the tot suddenly had to be rushed to the ICU.
Almost 12 hours after being admitted, he suffered acute pulmonary oedema, which caused four cardiac arrests, says his family.
In total, Raimundo spent 33 days in the ICU, 11 of them intubated.
Mum Nageane de Souza recalled: "The doctor said, 'You have to be strong because your son is in a very serious condition.' The ground opened up beneath me.
"I only remembered my son's little face, his experiences. He had just started school, only a fortnight before.
"Every time I remember it's painful for me. It's like I've been living a nightmare since that day until now."
Raimundo was admitted to the hospital on February 21 and discharged on April 15.
His parents say they have asked specialists to look into the complications he has been left with.
Heartbreakingly, a neuro-ophthalmologist delivered the devastating news that his blindness is irreversible.
As well as regular neurological check-ups, Raimundo's parents will need to spend part of their income on daily medication for his heart problems.
They are now complaining about the lack of clarity about what caused the complications.
They accuse medics of wasting time in giving him anti-venom, which was only administered on 22nd February, when he was already in the ICU.
Nageane told local media: "Wouldn't the serum have been useful earlier to prevent all of this?... Would giving it earlier have prevented all of these complications in my son?
"These are the questions I ask myself, and I just want answers. The hospital refuses to give these answers."
At the time of reporting, Sao Vicente de Barbalha Hospital had not responded to local media's request for comment.
