Nail biting is known as a bad habit, but it almost took a deadly turn for one man, as it nearly cost him his life.

Ricky Kennedy is a 57 year-old grandfather who says that he is lucky to be alive after he developed sepsis from nibbling the nail on his thumb so much.

“I had bitten my nail like that hundreds of times before so to think it almost killed me is terrifying,” Ricky said. “I was in so much pain, I couldn’t move. I thought I was having a heart attack and I really did think I was going to die.”

Ricky had to spend months in the hospital, and doctors told him he only had a 50 percent chance of surviving.

“It was a terrible time and you sink into a depression being stuck in hospital for that long,” he said.

Though Ricky survived, he was left with an eroded collarbone, septic arthritis, as well as asthma, and will likely undergo another major surgery in the near future.

“I may never be as healthy or strong as I was but I’m still here with my family and that is very precious to me,” he said.

Sepsis is a type of blood poisoning that is caused when an infection spreads through the blood. It is known as a “silent killer” because though it is easy to treat, it’s hard to diagnose. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that in the United States, over 1.5 million cases of sepsis occur every year, and 250,000 of them end in death.

You can prevent sepsis by maintaining good hygiene, making sure your vaccinations are up to date, and washing your hands often. Find out more about Ricky’s story in the video below.