A man was left in a coma and declared brain dead after trying to remove an ingrown hair from his leg.
Steven Spinale, from Texas, was diagnosed with potentially fatal sepsis as a result of the infection in late 2022, according to his sister Michelle, who has been chronicling his near-death experience on TikTok.
Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency and happens when an" extreme infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Steven's plight didn't stop there as he also developed influenza A and double pneumonia in both of his lungs, along with acute respiratory distress syndrome, while in the hospital.
Steven, who is a husband and father, developed the disease as a result of an infection he contracted while trying to extract the ingrown hair from his groin area.
His sister revealed on the social media platform that doctors found the septic bacterial infection had reached his heart and destroyed it, but he couldn't undergo surgery because his condition was urgent.
"All [doctors] could figure out was he was bleeding internally from somewhere. Little did we know that would be the smallest worry," Michelle wrote on a GoFundMe page that has raised $8,488 for his care. "He caught a rare bacteria that was ravaging [through] his body and shutting down all his organs. He is severely septic and in shock."
Due to all the difficulties, the man was placed in a medically induced coma to allow his body to recover. He was declared brain dead by medics and given a four percent chance of survival.
Steven had to undergo a multitude of procedures such as an open heart surgery and spending two weeks in a rotating bed to help with his breathing and have fluids drained from his lungs.
Months later, Steven recovered and emerged from his coma with no brain damage at the end of 2023. He has since nearly fully recovered and is regaining the ability to walk, talk, and enjoy his favorite hobbies again.
"We never lost hope or faith. And thank God we didn’t because look at him now!" ," Michelle captioned a video shared last week, adding: "[Doctors] aren't the final word."
Watch the TikTok below:
The comment section has now been flooded with praise and support from followers, with one writing: "Amazing! As a former ICU nurse, these are the stories I miss. The people who pull through and surprise us all! He’s tough for sure.
Another said: "Absolutely amazing ! I peaked all your videos and he is a true miracle!! Bless you all," while a third penned: "As an ICU nurse, seeing the last video, this is very surprising. A true miracle. I love seeing this. So awesome. Rooting for his recovery!!!!"
A fourth added: "Heartwarming to see such a positive video for once. too many sad ones... God bless you and your family. may he make a full recovery."
Congratulations on your recovery Steven!
