Plumber who lost 5 stone after catching TB turns life around to help others

A plumber who lost five stone after catching Tuberculosis (TB) has turned his life around to become a fitness coach and help inspire others.

Daniel Pierre, 37, from Amesbury Avenue, Streatham, believes he caught TB in 2020 while working on a hospital ward in Kent.

TB is an infectious disease usually caused by bacteria in the lungs.

He said: “I was doing the plumbing for a hospital, one of the wards was double security and I had to wear protective clothing.

“I didn’t really want to go in there – I didn’t feel safe because there were these buckets of blood on the floor people had coughed up. But the whole hospital needs to be cleaned otherwise bacteria builds up on the taps.

“Then after a few months I was coughing really badly, I was coughing up blood and vomiting every day.”

Mr Pierre said he didn’t know what it was at first.

He said: “It was the middle of the pandemic so my GP told me not to come into the surgery and prescribed me antibiotics.”

After three months on the wrong medication and his condition worsening, Mr Pierre went to A&E where he was diagnosed with TB.

He had lost five stone, dropping from 12 stone to 7.3 stone in the three months he had been ill.

He said: “I couldn’t see my family, and I stayed at St George’s Hospital in Tooting for a week. 

“I was really struggling, I couldn’t keep food down and I had to take 10 tablets each morning and spent most of the day and night sleeping.

“One day, I tried to walk but my legs wouldn’t cooperate.”

Despite the challenges, Mr Pierre was determined to get better.

He said: “I kept telling myself it wasn’t the end, and eventually, I regained my strength.”

After completing a six month course of tablets, Mr Pierre was still underweight and weak but began his journey back to recovery.

He said: “I started eating healthy and being healthy and had a goal to put all the weight back on.”

Now 14 stone and recently signed to the multi-million pound fitness company, Biotronics, Mr Pierre said he has “changed his life” and wants to help inspire others to do the same.

He said: “When I got sick I was trying to look for people who had gone through the same thing.

“It was a really shocking experience but there was no one I could connect with.

“Noone seemed to be able to bounce back from this kind of illness.”

Mr Piere started a fitness account on Instagram to inspire others on his journey. He has since racked up more than 13,000 followers.

He said: “Everything is going really well. A lot of people send me messages saying I inspire them.

“I want to help people do the same as me, I feel like hearing my story could really change people’s lives.”

Pictured top: Daniel Pierre lost five stone, dropping from 12 stone to 7.3 stone in the three months after he caught TB (Picture:Daniel Pierre)