A local man from Bude spent three months on life support in the ICU with sepsis, and now uses his new love for woodturning to heal himself and inspire others.

Mark Beckett, 52, from Bude contracted sepsis after being diagnosed with severe pancreatitis in 2018. Mark underwent many surgeries’ including the removal of his gall bladder to help tackle the infection. However, after being discharged from hospital and his condition worsening, Mark returned to hospital and was soon placed into a drug induced coma and kept in the ICU.

Mark spent four months in a coma, underwent over 30 surgical procedures, suffered from kidney failure and lost most of his pancreas leading to him dying four times on the operating table. Overall, Mark spent 103 days on life support in the ICU. To begin recovering, Mark was transferred to several different rehab units and spent four months gaining back his strength.

Before his ordeal, Mark was a relatively fit and healthy man, but now due to spending a prolonged period in bed and losing 85% of his muscle mass, Mark is learning to walk again. It was suggested by doctors that Mark took up a hobby to gain his strength back in his arms and legs, to help with hand and eye coordination and to help with mental focus. While searching the internet, Mark came across wood turning.

Mark said: “It seems I have a natural talent and I have been developing my skills ever since.”

Mark now lives everyday with limitations, after having his nerves damaged and being a type one diabetic, he is learning to live and work around his restrictions. Having started his own business and having the opportunity to work with some of the world’s best wood turners, Mark is becoming an internationally recognised artisan woodturner creating bowls, vases, display pieces, wall hangings, candle sticks and platters.

Mark said: “My day-to-day life is improving day by day. And I put that down to the woodturning and the focus it gives me.”

“My woodturning is basically a form of rehabilitation from my illness.”

Mark uses Youtube as a platform to post videos, give live demonstrations, and talk about his story to help others.

He said: “Talking about my issues and helping others to come to terms with similar problems is one of the things that I feel is vital to a recovery for me and for them.”

Some of his more recent work includes a bowl that will be created out of the wood from Bude’s infamous triangle tree, that fell during storm Eunice. Mark plans to donate it to the tourist information centre or musem to remember the iconic cypress tree.

You can find more information on Mark’s website: mark.beckett.woodturners.uk