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Many people bite their fingernails, it’s an absentminded habit that most don’t even realize they’re doing. While the majority eventually grow out of it, some continue the dirty habit their entire lives. The reasons vary as to why people bite their nails and it’s been attributed to many factors, from boredom and stress to anxiety and unease. Oftentimes nothing bad comes of it, but on rare occasions it can lead to severe health issues.
In one such case a man almost died from biting his nails. His name is Ricky Kennedy and at the time he was a 57 year old grandfather who lived in Dumbarton, Scotland. Ricky, a self-professed nail biter his entire life, had chewed his thumbnail down a little too far one day and ended up breaking open the skin.
A blister popped up the next day and bacteria from his mouth had gotten into the small opening and caused an infection. Soon afterwards the bacteria had spread to his bloodstream, it left him in pain and so he visited the doctor who gave him some antibiotics to help fight the infection.
Four days later Ricky was in such extreme pain that his wife had to call an ambulance. He couldn’t move and after being rushed to the hospital doctors told him he had a 50% chance of living. He was diagnosed with having sepsis, a life-threatening condition caused by the body’s response to an infection. Normally our bodies release chemicals into our bloodstreams to fight off an infection but with sepsis, that normal response is thrown out of balance and instead the body attacks its own tissue and organs.
Thankfully Ricky had gotten to the hospital just in time and his rapidly deteriorating condition was halted. He pulled through but had to spend six months in the hospital recovering from the painful ordeal which left him with an eroded collarbone, septic arthritis, and asthma. Even still, Ricky is thankful to be alive and credits his family and friends for giving him the strength and determination to fight on and live.
Even though he has a long road to recovery ahead of him, including multiple surgeries to repair his collarbone, he’s just happy to be alive and out of the hospital. He wants his story to serve as a cautionary tale about how biting your nails can turn deadly and to raise awareness about sepsis as well. To learn more about his ordeal please check out the video and share it with friends and family.
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