A 6-year-old Wisconsin girl was bitten by a rabid bat while playing outside her family’s home before her brother killed the animal with a homemade sword. Cecilia “Cece” Kale was climbing a tree outside her home in Tigerton when the bat sank its teeth into her left thigh last week. Her brothers, Nicklas, 11, and Camden, 16, pulled the bat off her before Nicklas killed it with the sword, their mother, Elizabeth Kale, told NBC News on Tuesday. The bat later tested positive for rabies. Kale said the family agreed to lifesaving treatment within 48 hours, despite opposing mandated immunizations, after doctors and county health officials explained the risks. Cece is now recovering from the attack. Rabies is nearly 100 percent fatal if left untreated, but is almost always curable with prompt post-exposure shots. Kale said Cece still loves playing outdoors despite the bat attack. “She’s just so brave and has a stronger constitution than the rest of us,” she said.
