A Cookstown man who survived a severe septic infection after a small cut on his arm is now walking on prosthetic legs and urging people to seek prompt medical help for minor injuries.

Marshall Wylie was working at Cookstown Recycling Centre in August 2023 when he sustained a minor laceration on his right arm while separating wood from soil in a lorry load. He cleaned and bandaged the wound but began feeling unwell within days, experiencing flu-like symptoms.

His wife, a nurse, recognised the signs of sepsis after returning from a night shift on a Saturday morning and dialled 999. Mr Wylie was taken to hospital and suffered a cardiac arrest at 5.25 am on 14 August. He later said he had a vision of a bright light and his late mother, who told him it was not his time. He was revived but remained in a coma for ten days.

Doctors informed him that his skin had been severely damaged internally and that he would need to have both legs amputated to survive. Medical staff called him “Miracle Marshall” because they had never seen anyone overcome such a serious case of sepsis. After spending 177 days across four hospitals, he was discharged in February 2024.

Local fundraising efforts helped support his recovery. He initially used a wheelchair and a mobility scooter. In June 2024 he was fitted with prosthetic legs and aimed to walk again in time for the marching season. He collected the prosthetics on 11 July and later that week walked to a friend’s Twelfth barbecue, surprising those who saw him on foot.

Mr Wylie stressed that sepsis can affect anyone from a small scratch and advised people to seek medical attention without delay if they feel groggy after an injury. He said many people now tell him they think of his experience whenever they have a cut and go straight to hospital.