A 61-year-old man from the UK, Martin Ralph, suffered a tragic loss of four toes after wearing custom hospital shoes at his wedding that were ill-fitting.

Martin, who has diabetes, usually needs specially designed shoes for proper blood circulation. However, in 2019, he wanted to wear formal shoes for his wedding to Melissa. After requesting custom shoes, the hospital measured his feet three times incorrectly. Despite his complaints about the shoes being too tight, he was reassured by medical staff to wear them, stating, "They will loosen with wear."

On the wedding day, after enduring significant discomfort for about three hours, he had to switch back to his original shoes. A few weeks later, he developed blisters and sores on his right big toe, leading to the amputation of the toe. Over the next four years, he experienced a decline in health, ultimately losing three more toes and altering his way of life significantly.

Frustrated, Martin filed a lawsuit against Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, which eventually admitted liability and publicly apologized, acknowledging that had proper sizing been provided initially, Martin would not have suffered such issues.

The medical facility has committed to conducting internal reviews and enhancing foot assessments and monitoring for at-risk patients, such as those with diabetes, to prevent future incidents. Martin expressed his disappointment, hoping that his case would remind hospitals to listen to their patients to avoid such tragedies in the future.