Monroe Mayor Robert Burns shared a frightening family emergency after his wife, Lauren, was bitten by a large copperhead on their property, sparking a rush to the ER and a public reminder to take snake bites seriously. The mayor has been open about her pain, the medical choices they made, and the relief that her vitals stabilized while they monitor swelling and recovery at home. This account blends a personal family story with practical warnings about wildlife common in North Carolina and a call for community support.
Robert Burns posted about the incident on X to raise awareness and ask for prayers, making the event public so neighbors could pay attention. He wanted people to know what happened and to be careful around wooded areas and rope swings where snakes like copperheads hide. The tone mixes concern for his wife with a civic-minded push for caution among residents.
“So … word has gotten out that my sweet wife was bitten by a large copperhead last night,” he began. “When it happened, we rushed her to the ER.” That opening line set the scene: sudden, scary, and urgent, and it underscores how fast a normal evening can turn dangerous. The mayor was clear that the family acted quickly and took the situation seriously.
The mayor described the serious pain Lauren experienced in the hours after the bite, stressing how unlike anything they’ve seen before. “She is in a lot of pain, probably more than I’ve ever seen her in,” Burns wrote. He shared those details not for drama but to let others understand the reality of venomous snakebites.
“We’re a busy family with a lot going on right now, but we truly cherish your prayers and are grateful for all the support, texts, calls, emails and well wishes,” he added. The couple has a large family and a tight-knit network that swung into action, and Burns expressed gratitude for the community response. It’s a reminder that public service and private life collide, and people appreciate straightforward updates from leaders.
“I’ve not seen her in this consistent amount of pain before,” he said. “We’ve had six children, and I’ve also seen her with kidney stones. I’ve seen it all, and she is in excruciating pain right now.” Those words drive home how severe the episode was, even compared to other major family health crises. The candid account helps neighbors grasp the stakes when venomous snakes are nearby.
The mayor described where it happened: Lauren was near a rope swing in a wooded patch on their property when she felt the bite. “All I heard was, ‘Babe, it’s not good, this is not good,’ and I’m like, ‘Are you okay?'” he recalled. “She ran around the side of the house, and she’s like, ‘Babe, I think I got bit by a snake.” That exchange captures the suddenness of the event and the split-second decisions that followed.
Burns used his phone flashlight to check her ankle and found two puncture wounds. “They were bleeding. They were big enough,” he said, a plain description that validates why they rushed her to emergency care. Identifying the wound pattern helped them and the medical team assess the situation.
They located the suspected snake afterward and described it as large and unmistakable. “This was about a 4-foot snake,” he said. “It was probably about as thick as my wrist to my forearm.” Burns also noted, “The second you see a copperhead, you know it’s a copperhead, because it’s a copper color and it has a pattern on its back, and it was big.” Those observations are practical identifiers people can use in similar encounters.
The family worried when their 14-year-old daughter had been walking barefoot nearby just minutes earlier. That moment of near-miss is every parent’s nightmare, and it amplifies the warning to supervise kids and keep them safe around natural play areas. Burns emphasized that copperheads often tolerate human spaces, which raises the risk where people live and play.
“These are the types of snakes that don’t run,” Burns said. “They don’t flee … they stand their ground.” That behavior makes close encounters more likely and can catch people off guard when they move through brush or reach for something unseen. The mayor’s description is meant to encourage vigilance rather than fear.
Doctors monitored Lauren for hours and consulted poison control as swelling progressed up her leg, tracking vitals and symptoms closely. The family ultimately decided against antivenom because of potential risks, choosing careful observation and pain management instead. She was released to recover at home while the medical team kept watch over her condition.
“Any snake bite, you want to take seriously,” he said. “Because you don’t really know, especially if you don’t get eyes on it.” That straightforward advice is the core public safety message from a leader who faced this at home: treat bites seriously, seek care fast, and follow medical guidance. Burns closed the update with appreciation: “I’m very grateful for all the support and help.”
