A fit 34-year-old British father had to have both legs and an arm amputated after what appeared to be a common cold turned out to be a flesh-eating bug.
Alex Lewis went to bed one night feeling a little under the weather. He thought he had a minor virus but that he would feel fine after a few days.
But within hours, the full-time father was in hospital fighting for his life - and doctors even warned his partner that she should say her goodbyes.
They discovered Mr Lewis had blood poisoning caused by a type of bacteria most people harbour on their skin but is usually dealt with by the immune system.
After the Streptococcus A bacteria got into Mr Lewis's blood, it caused his major organs to shut down and started killing skin and muscle tissue. Doctors at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester gave him a one-in-30 chance of surviving - but he pulled through.