A man was left in a coma and given just a 4% chance of survival due to an ingrown hair.
We’ve all been guilty of plucking a problematic hair from time to time.
But one man who plucked out an ingrown hair faced some severe consequences.
Steven Spinale was left in a coma with just a 4% chance of survival after a plucking venture went awry.
Spinale was diagnosed with sepsis in 2022 and was left fighting for his life after his ingrown hair-plucking misadventure.
Ingrown hair occurs when a hair that’s been removed starts to grow back and curves into the skin, as per Mayo Clinic.
His sister Michelle claims he was ‘pretty sick’ for a month or so before doctors were able to discover the cause of his medical issues.
Initially, they believed Spinale ‘was bleeding internally from somewhere’ – but Michelle says this ended up being ‘the smallest worry’.
“He was turned away at numerous hospitals [who thought] he was making it up. He started vomiting blood and they still sent him home,” she recalls on TikTok.
Spinale’s sister writes on GoFundMe: “Steven Spinale is a 36-year-old father who is currently fighting for his life in ICU. He has been pretty sick for the last month or so and doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him.
“All they could figure out was he was bleeding internally from somewhere. Little did we know that would be the smallest worry. He declined fast until he crashed and was put on life support.
“He caught a rare bacteria that was ravaging through his body and shutting down all his organs. He is severely septic and in shock.
“He caught influenza while in the hospital. He has double pneumonia. He has ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) and his lungs aren’t working.
“The doctors are doing everything they possibly can do for him and if anyone could pull through this it’s him.
“Steven is so important to so many people and we need him to fight like he has never fought before. His wife hasn’t left his side so both incomes are now gone.
“We are trying to raise funds to help ease their worries and help pay their bills including medical. Steven doesn’t have insurance. This is going to be a long road if he pulls through this and we appreciate all the help we can get.”
While in hospital, Spinale developed influenza A and double pneumonia in both of his lungs, as well as acute respiratory distress syndrome.
He ended up spending three weeks in a coma, with his family having faith he would recover.
It turns out Spinale had a ‘rare bacteria that was ravaging through his body and shutting down all his organs’.
He’d caught the infection after plucking an ingrown hair, which opened a small wound and eventually became diseased.
Recent TikToks offer an update, as Spinale has a ‘new sparkle in his eyes’ and his family say he ‘proves doctors wrong’ and are calling him ‘a miracle’.
