Update on man who was left in coma and given 4% chance of survival after pulling out ingrown hair
US man Steven Spinale was thought to be brain dead, but his family never gave up
The sister of a man who was believed to be 'brain dead' and given just a four percent chance to live after plucking an ingrown hair out has provided a promising update on his condition.
Back in 2022, US man Steven Spinale did something most of us have probably done countless times in our lives, pluck out a pesky ingrown hair.
However this seemingly harmless decision would be one which would change his life forever.
After removing the ingrown hair from his groin, Steven, then 36, began to feel 'pretty sick' with doctors stumped as to what could be causing his symptoms.
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It wasn't until the father's health declined so badly that he needed to be put on life support that doctors were able to figure out the full extent of what was wrong.
He'd developed sepsis.
An extreme response to the body fighting off an infection, sepsis causes damage to the body's organs and is nearly always fatal without medical intervention.
Symptoms of sepsis are often difficult to spot, with the NHS advising that anyone with 'blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue' or confusion should be taken to A&E for urgent treatment.
In Steven's case, he'd developed sepsis from a rare bacterial infection after removing the ingrown hair, with the bacteria 'ravaging thru [sic] his body and shutting down all his organs'.
The Texas native also caught influenza A, double pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) while in hospital as well as suffering a 'small stroke after the sepsis reached his heart'.
Given the sheer number of life-threatening complications, Steven was placed in a medically-induced coma, was likely 'brain dead' and given just a four percent chance of surviving.
However in a miraculous turn of events, Steven was able to regain consciousness and recover. His recovery has been documented by family members, who've shared numerous updates on his health via social media.
In one TikTok posted in November 2025, his sister Michelle shared various clips of Steven's 'milestones' which include physiotherapy, sitting up in bed eating food and learning to walk again.
More recent photos revealed Steven's life after being discharged from hospital, including going fishing and spending time with family members.
"We never lost hope," she wrote in another TikTok which showed photos of him in the ICU and waking up. "And luckily [he’s] alive today."
"We never lost hope of faith. And thank God we didn’t because look at him now," she added in another clip. "[Doctors] aren’t the final word."
Topics: Health
Brenna Cooper