The former Emmerdale actor could lose foot after a spider bite during the Las Vegas boys' trip

A former soap actor could lose his footing after being bitten by a toxic spider on a boys' trip to Las Vegas.

Matthew Phillips developed a gaping wound after being pinched by a tiny brown recluse.

The creepy crawly is only the size of a 20 penny coin but is more venomous than a rattlesnake.

The 44-year-old, who played in Emmerdale and other television shows, was badaulted while staying at the Wynn hotel or returning to Manchester, but due to nerve damage caused by diabetes, he did not realize it. late in the day, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Now, the unsightly nick must be re-dressed daily to ensure that it does not lose all the foot because of a secondary infection.

By the time he realized that he had been bitten, the venom had been rooted and had rotten much of the top of his right foot.

The nerve damage to the feet is so severe that doctors at the Royal Salford Hospital did not need anesthetic because they removed the dead flesh leaving a hole the size of A golf ball.

Mr. Phillips took pictures of the procedure and made them public in order to serve as a warning to people like him with type 2 diabetes who did not manage to control the disease and who ended up with feet vulnerable to infection.

He does not want to be added to a surprising statistic – it is estimated that there are 169 diabetes-related amputations in the UK each week.

Whitefield's father of two came back from Vegas on June 16th.

What started as a "little red dot" on her right foot was starting to become "darker and more swollen".

He went to the hospital and doctors told him that Brown Recluse spiders, originating from some US states, were not aggressive but were linked to some deaths, all of them children.

"I could have stood on a nail and I would not know it.They removed all dead flesh and dead tissue and it was disgusting.It is the most horrible thing that I Have never seen, "he said.

Keeping clean bandages is essential to save your foot.

"I really have to stay in control," said Matthew.

He still has poison in his system that affects his balance and makes walking difficult.

Mr. Phillips, who is married to Joanne, has recognized his 13-year-old daughter Ella and son Leo backing out of dressing changes.

"When I dress him up, they can not stand it, they both start out of the room," he said.

Mr. Phillips admitted that he was now "afraid to go out" and that he had become a semi-loner.

He admits that his situation is partly the result of his own decisions.

At the age of 19, he weighed 20 kilograms and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but he refused to take medication or to not follow the warnings of his doctors because he believed "invincible".

It was not until the late thirties that he began to control his diet and he now has just under 13 pints.

But its high blood sugar level has caused lasting nerve damage.

He would have said, "I should have had better control of my diabetes, I should have kept my blood sugar low, but at 19, you think you're invincible and you keep eating shit or doing bad things. because you think it will never affect you.

"I should have taken care of my diet and taken my medication properly.I should have listened.I did not do it and I hold my hands in the air. You are not interested in people telling you what will happen to you in your 60s.

"You think you're invincible, but you're far off, I've continued to eat the wrong things, which has done me a lot of damage.

"Do not be silly, listen to what the doctors tell you, they do not tell you lies, it's absolutely true, they do not do it to scare you, they tell you the truth so listen. "

He added: "I raise my hands, if I have not been neglected in the past, it would not be like that, but I did it and I raise my hands. from my fault what I had done in the past. "

While he hopes other people with type 2 diabetes are listening to his story rather than "losing a leg or a foot in the future," Matthew is determined not to pity himself on his fate.

"What am I supposed to do? Do I have to stay in the corner all day and cry about it or make the most of it? I have to think that this happened. "Do I give up or do I continue?" "I'm not the type to give up, I'm just going on," he said.

Research has shown that 26,378 people in the UK had a lower limb amputation related to diabetes between 2014 and 2017.

Dan Howarth, head of care at the charity Diabetes UK, said: "Diabetes is a serious disease that can lead to devastating complications, with feet being no exception.

"In the UK, there are 169 diabetes-related amputations every week, which is heartbreaking, especially since most of them could be prevented if signs of foot injuries were detected in time. .

"That's why it's so important for people with diabetes to know how to take care of their feet and control them daily.

"If they find any changes or problems in the feet, it is essential that they urgently consult a doctor.A few hours can make the difference between losing and keeping a limb."