A dad-of-two narrowly avoided dying after catching a rare flesh-eating bug in his garden which turned his blood vessels into mush.
Steve Palmer, 34, caught the flesh-eating disease while clearing debris at his home in Birmingham. While sweeping away reeds that had flown onto his property from a nearby river, Steve nicked the middle finger on his right hand but thought nothing of it.
The next morning, Steve noticed his finger appeared red and swollen but still went to work with his father-in-law. Later that day, he noticed a throbbing sensation in his hand and was left stunned when it ballooned and his arm turned black.