Mark Tatum suffered from a fungal infection that caused him to lose his eyes, upper jaw, and nose in 2000. This type of infection is not uncommon, but the extent of Tatum’s damage was unprecedented.

Tatum was a medical phenomenon because he survived the virus. He was heavily highlighted in the media due to his extraordinary experience, including Larry King, Maury Povich, and Ripley’s Believe it or Not.

When a rare fungal infection called mucormycosis infiltrated Mark Tatum’s sinuses, surgeons had to remove a large portion of his face to save his life.

The fungus may have spread to his brain and killed him if they hadn’t removed his diseased eyes, nose, cheekbones, upper jaw, and teeth.

“We first did not believe he would survive. The outlook was quite bleak “Dr. Wayne K. Stadelmann, a plastic surgeon at the University of Louisville Medical Center, confirmed this.

Mark Tatum Before Surgery

He was a brave man who stood in solidarity with the thousands of others who have lost their health, homes, and livelihoods as a result of fungal contamination.

Tatum had a new face after two years and 11 operations. “Look at me today,” the 45-year-old citizen of Owensboro, Kentucky, stated in an interview with CNN in 2022.

If they hadn’t taken out his infected eyes, nose, cheekbones, upper jaw and teeth, the fungus could have traveled to his brain and killed him.

“Initially, we didn’t think he was going to survive. The prognosis was extremely grim,” said Dr. Wayne K. Stadelmann, a plastic surgeon with the University of Louisville Medical Center.

Now, two years and 11 surgeries later, Tatum has a new face.

“Look at me now,” the 45-year-old Owensboro, Kentucky, resident said. “I may not be beautiful, but I’m damn near it.”

It was designed by University of Louisville prosthodontist Zafrulla Khan, who described it as the most complete prosthesis he had ever produced or heard of.

Mr. Tatum died on February 26, 2005, at the Medco Center in Franklin, Kentucky, following all of these medical procedures and love from netizens.

Due to the loss of his eyes, upper jaw, and nose in surgery, Mark Tatum was often referred to as The Man Without A Face.

Mark Tatum’s sinuses were penetrated by a rare fungal condition called mucormycosis in 2000, and doctors had to remove a huge piece of his face to save his life.

Mucormycosis is a dangerous but uncommon fungal illness caused by a family of molds known as mucormycetes. These molds may be found all over the place.

Mucormycosis mostly affects persons who have health problems or who use medications that reduce the body’s capacity to resist infections and illness.

Mark Tatum adalah seorang pria dari Kentucky AS, yang dikenal sebagai "the man without a face" (manusia tanpa wajah… pic.twitter.com/G9LKWHau50

— Lombok dalam Foto (@lombokfoto) May 10, 2016

After breathing fungal spores from the air, it most usually affects the sinuses or the lungs. It can also appear after a cut, burn, or other skin damage.

Mark’s wife, Nancy Tatum, feels that a steroid her husband was using for back discomfort may have compromised his immune system.

Tatum began using steroids two years ago after suffering a tumble while working part-time as a landscaper. Tatum was transported to the Owensboro Mercy Health System emergency department on February 7, 2000, after displaying indications of bewilderment.

Tatum had a biopsy, and Dr. Khaled Joujia, an infectious disease expert, diagnosed him with mucormycosis. Dr. Joujia stated that he has previously worked with five persons who had it, according to Nancy Tatum.

Tatum’s nose, mouth, and eyes were swiftly affected, and the fungus was making its way to his brain.

Tatum was rushed to the University of Louisville Hospital less than a week after being diagnosed and offered a life-or-death decision. He could have surgery to remove his eyes, nose, sinuses, and the roof of his mouth, or he could be kept comfortable until he died.

And he chose the latter.

Mark Tatum was 48 years old when he died, leaving his wife, Nancy Tatum, and his family in sorrow. Mark became ill with mucormycosis after construction workers removed walls in his home that was infested with Stachybotrys chartarum, often known as the black mold.

The unusual disorder is caused by a kind of mold known as zygomycetes, which are common in the environment but can transform into opportunistic infections when conditions are favorable.

Mark Tatum "Man without a face"
His house was found to have high levels of toxic mold, including Stachybotryshttps://t.co/sJsacQTd3y https://t.co/Yh17ezhcrG

— Erik Johnson (@erikmoldwarrior) October 1, 2019

Tatum has had multiple strokes, his right side is largely paralyzed, and he requires 15 medications each day.

Medicare and Medicaid barely cover a portion of the expenses, and bill collectors call on a regular basis, seeking tens of thousands of dollars.

Tatum claims that two things rescued him while he was on the verge of death, nancy’s love and a dream in which he saw his granddaughter Leah reaching out for his assistance.