Peter Murphy, 61, from Mansfield, was left in a coma for four days after a spider crawled across his bed and bit him. The next day, he felt discomfort across his right wrist, with swelling and redness. Days later, he was unable to speak properly. After rushing to hospital, he was placed in a coma, and the last thing he heard was doctors advising his wife, Toni, 62, that if the infection continued to travel up his arm, they would need to amputate.
Life-Threatening Infection
After coming around from the four-day coma, and following four operations, Peter learned he had contracted necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating bug. He also suffered from severe cellulitis and sepsis during the ordeal in October 2022. Peter describes the spider as having a “see-through skeletal body with red eyes”.
“At this point, my life was flashing before my eyes,” said the health and safety manager. “I turned to Toni, managed a smile, and said: ‘I don’t think I’m going to make it through this. This could be goodbye.’”
Family Tragedy
Before he could focus on recovery, life had another surprise in store. He said: “I was sitting in my hospital bed reflecting on my brother passing away the week before I was fighting for my life in hospital. When talking to one of the nurses, I remembered my sister had just been admitted, too. After checking, she found out she was in the ward right above me. When I got to her room, I found all the family around her hospital bed, as she was not in a good way. I suppose, in my mind, I said my goodbyes, and that was the last time I saw her, as she passed away shortly afterwards.”
Weight Loss Journey
While the next few weeks were challenging, Peter managed to regain his strength. He went through the process of skin grafting and physiotherapy to help the movement in his hand and fingers. And, while nearing the end of his recovery, he and his wife decided it was time to prioritise their future. Before, he was tipping the scales at 18st 7lbs, while Toni weighed 13st 7lbs. Then, after the ordeal, he had put on a further two stones. It left him unable to walk far, out of breath easily and struggling with sleeping, snoring, as well as chest pains.
Peter also struggled to play games with his grandchildren. After saying goodbye to his brother and sister – and almost himself – within just one week, he knew something needed to change. And so, he and Toni switched up their unhealthy eating habits of full English breakfasts, takeaway kebabs, crisp sandwiches and cakes. Instead, they opted for poached eggs, tuna salad and low-calorie bars. At the start of 2025, they also joined Slimming World. Between them, after just one year, they had lost an impressive 10st 2lb between them – Toni losing 3st 7lbs and Peter dropping 6st 9lbs respectively.
New Lease of Life
Now, the pair are embracing life and have recently taken up badminton three times a week. Peter added: “I was very sceptical at first, as I have lost weight many times during my life and always put it back on – and more. But Toni was adamant that this was an opportunity we couldn’t let pass us by. Today, all my symptoms have disappeared, and I’ve fully recovered. We were in our sixties, growing old together. But now, it feels like we’re staying young together. Joining Slimming World was the best thing we ever did. It was making those lifestyle changes and being involved with other members that helped us turn our lives around.”
Peter and Toni are also supporting Slimming World’s charity, SMILES, which raises funds for various causes, including Cancer Research UK, the Irish Cancer Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK. So far, they’ve raised £500 for the charity through sponsored events.
