When Alex woke up, he found himself in a hospital with his limbs and part of his face surgically removed.

Alex Lewis, 39, from Hampshire, England, had skin grafted from his shoulder around his mouth after he lost part of his face to a severe bacterial condition, and had to have both lips removed through surgery.

Alex’s ordeal began in November 2013, when he was 32. One morning, he woke up with a severe flu. Alex thought it was just a common illness and only took some medication. But just a month later, he fell into a deep unconscious state as his vital functions began to shut down.

His family quickly took Alex to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with a serious streptococcal infection causing systemic complications and multiple organ complications, leaving him in critical condition with only a 30% chance of survival. When he woke up, Alex found himself in a hospital with his limbs and part of his face surgically removed.

To survive, Alex had to take up to 50 pills a day, yet his health continued to decline. His right arm, the only remaining functional limb, was fractured when it was injured while he was sleeping.

Alex had every reason to give up on life, but he remained optimistic, pushing himself forward. After more than six months in the hospital and 18 medical procedures, Alex began his long journey of rehabilitation. Despite losing his limbs and having a significantly altered appearance, he felt fortunate to have family and friends by his side to help him through it.

In 2014, he underwent a reconstructive lip procedure using tissue from his shoulder, the only area with healthy skin suitable for grafting.

“It was a piece of skin, and it was like you put a bag in your mouth and then sew around the edges,” Alex shared. “I couldn’t sleep for seven days after the procedure. It was unbelievable that all the nerves and muscles were working again and they functioned like normal lips.”

Six years after suffering a life-altering illness, Alex is now an advocate for the limb-loss community, wanting to do more to help people’s mental and physical well-being in the post-procedure period.