Man Recovers After Rare Bacteria Caused Septic Shock, Left Him with ‘No Brain Activity’: ‘We Never Lost Hope’

Steven Spinale’s condition “declined fast,” with doctors noting he had been “bleeding internally,” according to his sister

The story of a man who recovered after having been placed in a coma and given a 4% survival rate has gone viral on social media after his sister shared his journey.

PEOPLE
SUBSCRIBE
Kate Middleton and Prince William’s Relationship Timeline

LIFESTYLE
HEALTH
Man Recovers After Rare Bacteria Caused Septic Shock, Left Him with ‘No Brain Activity’: ‘We Never Lost Hope’
Steven Spinale’s condition “declined fast,” with doctors noting he had been “bleeding internally,” according to his sister

By Kimberlee Speakman Published on March 21, 2024 10:35AM EDT
Steven Spinale
Steven Spinale. PHOTO: GO FUND ME
The story of a man who recovered after having been placed in a coma and given a 4% survival rate has gone viral on social media after his sister shared his journey.

Michelle Spinale posted a series of videos on TikTok showing how her brother, Steven Spinale, survived after he contracted a rare bacteria when he was hospitalized in late 2022.

She shared in a GoFundMe that he had been “pretty sick” for at least a month and doctors were unable to “figure out” what was wrong with him, though they noted that he had been “bleeding internally from somewhere.” He “declined fast” and was eventually put on life support by mid-October, as his organs began to shut down due to septic shock as a result of the bacterial infection.

Septic shock is a progression of sepsis, in which the body’s infection-fighting processes turn on itself, causing the organs to work poorly, according to the Mayo Clinic. In Septic shock, the body experiences a dramatic drop in blood pressure that can damage the lungs, kidneys, liver and other organs, per the clinic.

Texas Teen Who Unknowingly Took a Fentanyl-Laced Pill Dies a Day Before His 18th Birthday
While in the hospital, Michelle shared that Steven had undergone a multi-month journey to survive. In one video, she said he had “a stroke,” “massive” blood clots in his legs and heart chamber, pneumonia and had even contracted ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome).