Speare Memorial Hospital helps Plymouth Man get back in the race—and back to life

PLYMOUTH — One year ago, Mark Flynn had difficulty walking. Today, the longtime Plymouth State University lecturer is lifting weights, riding his bike, tending to his chickens, and checking goals off a list that once seemed impossible.

At the top of that list was completing the Speare Shuffle 5K a couple weeks ago.

The accomplishment marks the end of a remarkable recovery that began when a seemingly minor foot wound turned into a life-threatening medical emergency.

Flynn, who has taught English at PSU for more than 20 years, first noticed that a sore on his left foot wasn't healing. For months, he assumed it would eventually improve.

Instead, the situation steadily worsened.

“I felt so awful that at one point I thought, I don’t care anymore,” Flynn said. “I had never felt that terrible in my life. I was just so tired.”

What Flynn didn't know was that the atrial fibrillation, or AFib, that he had for the past decade had worsened, causing his heart to race at nearly 180 beats per minute. The condition reduced circulation to his foot, allowing an infection to take hold.

"I kept thinking things were going to get better on their own," Flynn said. "That was a mistake."

By the time he made an appointment at Speare Memorial Hospital's Wound Care Center, the infection had become serious, at risk of developing into sepsis. He worried that he was in a more precarious condition than he originally thought.

"When I got to the Wound Care Center, they realized how bad it was," Flynn said. "They put me in a wheelchair and immediately took me to the emergency room."

Within minutes, doctors and nurses surrounded him. Soon after, surgeon Dr. Alice Rocke of Plymouth General Surgery, performed emergency surgery to remove the infected tissue.

"Within 45 minutes of my arrival at Speare, they began the procedure," Flynn recalls.

He spent four days at Speare while physicians stabilized his heart rate and blood pressure. The hospital team also adjusted his medications to address the underlying AFib that had contributed to the problem.

Once discharged, Flynn began months of treatment with Dr. Dennis Claire, Speare podiatrist and wound specialist, and the staff at Speare's Wound Care Center. He met with a Speare nutritionist who advised him that recovering from a wound required extra protein and certain vitamins.

The crisis passed, but Flynn’s recovery was only beginning.

“Fortunately, I was never in pain again once I went to Speare,” Flynn said. “The battles have been mostly mental, to stay strong and focused, follow orders, and not give up.”

A second surgery followed with Dr. Claire this time, to help everything heal properly. Flynn used a wound vacuum system, wore a protective boot, and relied on a knee scooter to keep pressure off his foot. He continued teaching through the process, while carefully following every instruction from his medical team.

Flynn went to the Speare Shuffle in 2025 but was unable to participate as he was still in a boot. But he was impressed by what he observed.

“I saw ladies pushing their babies in strollers and told myself, there is no reason that I can’t do this in 2026,” Flynn said. “They motivated me.”

Flynn credits the wound care team of nurses for not only for treating his condition but also for helping him stay positive throughout his recovery.

"Everybody there made me feel hopeful and I started believing that I could do it and that it wasn’t the end,” Flynn said. “They didn’t put any pressure on me, but I feel like I owe them a debt after receiving so much attention to go back out into the world and do something with my life.”

That optimism proved essential as months of treatment slowly gave way to progress. By August, his wound had healed, and he was discharged from care.

Today, Flynn says he feels better than he has in a long time.

"My heart is functioning so much more efficiently," Flynn said. "I'm getting around more, and I'm incredibly motivated to get stronger. It feels amazing. I began to lift weights as a teenager and now I remember why I liked it so much.”

Looking back, Flynn says the experience taught him an important lesson.

"Don't wait to seek medical care, especially as you get older," Flynn said. "If something doesn't seem right, get it checked out. It is better to go to the doctor and find out you don’t need any extra care than to do what I did. I got extremely lucky."

Mark also feels fortunate to have a local hospital that provided all the care he needed.

“It was incredibly helpful to have all these services available at Speare,” Flynn said. “They may be a smaller hospital, but they know what they are doing there and you can trust them.”

For Flynn, recently completing the 2026 Speare Shuffle 5k was more than crossing the finish line. It was a celebration of a second chance—one he credits to the quick action, expertise, and compassion of the team at Speare Memorial Hospital.

"Dr. Rocke and Dr. Claire are both rock stars, and their entire team is equally heroic,” Flynn said. “Speare pretty much pulled me back from the edge and saved my life.”

Speare Memorial Hospital is a 25-bed, nonprofit critical access hospital located in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Dedicated to improving the health of the communities it serves, Speare provides high-quality, compassionate care close to home, offering a full range of inpatient, outpatient, primary, and specialty services to residents across central New Hampshire.

For more information, visit spearehospital.com.