New Forest man almost dies while trying to save his mum's life

Marcus Nunes Filho, 40, embarked on the marathon journey, but the endeavour nearly cost him his own.

At age 39, Marcus took on the challenge of the New Forest Marathon, aiming to raise £30,000 for his 62-year-old mum, Irani Pinto, who had lost both legs to acute thrombosis.

After the amputations, a tumour was discovered under Irani's knee, leading to tumoral thrombosis, a condition where a tumour invades a blood vessel, impeding blood flow.

The funds Marcus planned to raise were to facilitate Irani's access to surgery for infection and nerve pain, and to afford her prosthetic legs.

Marcus and Irani (Image: NQ) The 40-year-old said: "Men's mental health is something we do not speak about enough — these were some of the darkest times in my life.

"It felt like a dream come true that I was raising money to help my mother - getting her some prosthetic legs."

Marcus was heavily impacted by his mum's ordeal, becoming so overwhelmed that he tried to end his own life in December 2019, soon after his mum's diagnosis.

But after surviving, he decided to run the marathon in a bid to turn things around.

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He added: "When I first told my mum I wanted to take on the challenge, she said 'you're having a laugh'.

"She is so proud of what I have been able to achieve."

Last year, Marcus collapsed at mile 18 of the marathon due to heatstroke and dehydration and was promptly airlifted and put into a coma.

Marcus in hospital (Image: NQ) Five days later he awoke in Southampton General Hospital, facing a six-month recovery journey.

Despite the hurdles, Marcus went on to recover fully, regaining his health in six months.

The funds raised by Marcus, dubbed "The Iron Legs" campaign, proved vital.

Now Marcus acts as a Mental Health First Aider at his workplace, Vistry Group, where he is a machine operator. 

He added: "I tried to commit suicide, and someone stopped me. I had two choices, either to carry on feeling depressed and suffering with my mental health or to make a change. 

"Since taking up my role I have supported hundreds of workers - two of which were on the brink of suicide."

He's now planning to complete the New Forest Marathon in September and finish the challenge he started.