A grandfather was left fighting for his life after he developed sepsis from 'biting his nails'.
Ricky Kennedy believes he's lucky to be alive after contracting the infection which is renowned for being a 'silent killer'.
The 57-year-old claims that the sepsis started after he nibbled his nail down too far and a blister ended up appearing on his thumb.
He was given a 50 percent chance of surviving the terrifying ordeal and spent months in hospitals battling the disease.
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Sepsis kills around 44,000
people in the UK every year and occurs when the body reacts to an infection by
attacking its own organs and tissues.
He eventually went to see the GP as he was growing concerned about the blister. He was prescribed antibiotics to clear a suspected infection but when it began to spread to his arms and chest he was rushed to hospital.
Mr Kennedy, from Dumbarton in Scotland, told the Lennox Herald: "I didn't think for a second that the cut on my thumb was the cause of it all. It was tiny.
"I had bitten my nail like that hundreds of times before so to think it almost killed me is terrifying. I was in so much pain, I couldn't move. I thought I was having a heart attack and I really did think I was going to die.
"If it wasn't for Ghislaine [his 65-year-old wife] phoning an ambulance I would be dead."
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He was diagnosed with sepsis after Mrs Kennedy called the doctor to visit their home, the pair were then told it would be a matter of life or death.
Mr Kennedy's wife explained: "By the time the doctor got here it was all spreading down Ricky's arms and chest. He was absolutely delirious - he didn't even know what age he was and he could barely breathe or stand up. I didn't think he was going to make it."
Mr Kennedy endured months of hospital stays in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital - the first of which remain a blur.
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He continued: "I don't remember a thing from when I was first taken to hospital. All I can remember is asking a nurse if I was going to die.
"It was a terrible time and you sink into a depression being stuck in hospital for that long. I just wanted to come home but we were so lucky to have so many people visit and help us through it."
Mr Kennedy now faces major surgery on his collarbone to replace the eroded bones and is still in excruciating pain but added: "I'm lucky to be alive. I may never be as healthy or as strong as I was, but I'm still here with my family and that is very precious to me."
Featured Image Credit: Media Scotland