Man suffered stroke and lost sight after splinter caused infection

A carpenter suffered a life-threatening stroke, blindness, sepsis and pneumonia after a wood splinter in his hand became infected.

Dave Parkyn was left blind in his right eye, partially sighted in his left and physically disabled after a stroke at the age of 28.

The carpenter from St Austell, Cornwall, got a splinter of wood caught in his hand whilst working in August 2020.

The splinter festered, leading to bacterial meningitis as the infection rampaged through his body causing severe strokes.

Within two days of coming home from work unwell, Dave was in intensive care in a medically induced coma with machines sustaining his bodily functions.

His mother, Jackie Parkyn, 65, said: “Dave came home from work with a massive headache and feeling really ill.

“He deteriorated through the evening and was in intense pain so I rang 111 for advice.

“He saw the GP who diagnosed a possible pulled muscle in his back which was causing the headache. He was sent home and told to come back in a couple of days if he was no better.”

Dave, now 30, deteriorated through the night and was taken to hospital the next day.

In addition to the stroke, Dave was suffering from pneumonia, chest abscesses and sepsis.

His family were advised his life support would be turned off if he showed no signs of improvement later that week.

In the two years since his stroke, Dave and his family have struggled to cope with the emotional implications of the incident.

The ordeal has ‘devastated’ Dave’s dreams, and he has ‘lost his income, his self-confidence, pride and ambition’, according to his mother.

Dave - who was left partially blind and with other disabilities affecting an arm and a leg - said speaking to a counsellor was a relief.

He said: “It helped me think about how to let out my anger and frustration which is a huge part of the healing process,

“It was just nice to be able to talk to someone and share my feelings and not feel judged.

“We spoke about lots of things. We talked about friendship. I’ve lost a lot of friends since it happened.

“When I come out after our sessions I feel like a big weight has come off my shoulders.”

His mother Jackie said she had learned to cope with feelings of “deep guilt” after the accident.

She said: “I cannot move on from the guilt I have but I suppose that’s part of being a parent.

“The counselling from the Stroke Association has helped us both get what has happened in a better perspective, although neither of us will ever really accept how that has devastated his life.

“Maybe I’m not going to get over the guilt, but I have realised that I need to accept it and move on.

She added: “Dave will never fully be able to do the job he loved so much but has recently returned to work as a carpenter, although not in the same capacity he formerly was.

“He is now beginning to accept some of what has happened and is trying to re-build a career and a life, albeit different to the one he planned.”