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One in two fathers lost their leg and fought for life after contracting a deadly infection "due to ingrown hairs".
Mark Nagel, 53, took 45 pounds in one leg and became temporarily blind two weeks after contracting fatal necrotic fasciitis in his left thigh.
It is thought that the bacteria entered his system through an ingrown hair and multiplied into an "empty space" created when he slipped and pulled a muscle.
He let Mark, of Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, suffer from a dull ache that intensified as the virus passed through his flesh.
Mark Nagel shows off his fake leg months after surgery that saved his life
Mark Nagel is relaxed on the deck of a boat near his home in Minnesota before losing his leg
Two weeks after the fall, Mark's vision was gone and he was dying.
His terrified wife, 52-year-old Tammy Nagel, called 911 and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors warned her life was at stake.
Mark then underwent six surgeries to remove the sick flesh, while his family and friends – up to 35 people at a time – camped by his bedside to show his support.
Fortunately, he beat the rare disease, which has a survival rate of 27%, but doctors were forced to amputate his left pelvic leg to stop the spread.
Mark spent the year after contracting the disease in January 2017 to relearn how to walk with a prosthetic limb and to undertake reconstruction work.
Project developer Mark described the test as "scary" but said he was grateful to be alive.
He said, "I had never heard of the virus before.
"When I googled it online, I remember thinking that the death rate of sufferers – and the fact that it's called a flesh-eating disease – was scary.
"There was ingrown hairs on my thigh and there was speculation that something was going on through it – a strep infection penetrated through these ingrown hairs.
Mark Nagel with hospitalized children with necrotizing fasciitis – a life-threatening infection
Mark Nagel and his wife Tammy have undergone six vital surgeries as part of his fierce fight against the disease
"Normally, it would not be a big problem because your immune system is fighting him but he found an opening in that space where there was a pulled muscle and it gave him room to grow."
Mark began to feel pain early last year after slipping on the ice riding his Golden Retriever, Dakota, and pulling his strength.
He said, "My leg started to swell and it was hard to walk on it because I was starting to stiffen.
"Over a period of two weeks, I had taken 45 pounds in my leg.
"The infection had basically absorbed all the hydration of my body. I became so dehydrated that I became blind and was about to lose consciousness.
Doctors from Regions Hospital, Minnesota, USA, performed a CT scan that showed Mark was suffering from necrotizing fasciitis.
Mark said, "The surgeon said that he would open my leg and see the virus grow while he was working there.
"They realized that the move was so fast that it was impossible to save the leg.
"After six surgeries, they got rid of the infection and removed everything until the pelvic bone.
The father of two spent another month in the hospital before returning home in March.
Mark Nagel learns to walk with his false leg after receiving the prosthesis after a successful operation to save his life
Mark stated that he and his family had moved to a one-storey house and that he had even managed to return to work. On the picture here his first day back
He said, "As soon as the hospital's work was completed, we began to understand what it meant for our lives.
"Our house had five levels of stairs, so we put it on sale and bought another one-story home.
"We sold our RV because it would not help moving on crutches.
"We had to make a lot of changes, but everything went well."
Brave Mark, 21-year-old father of Rachel, and Mitch, 23, remained positive despite the emotional trauma.
"You just have to overcome this problem. You can not let that belittle you, "he added.
"I can only handle one leg because it's way better than the alternative – I'm alive".
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