Our Sepsis Story

Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency that requires urgent medical attention within the golden hour. If treatment is delayed, a person may suffer from organ failure or even die.

I didn't really know how serious Sepsis was. I will never forget that fear that I was going to die! June 2024, It felt like my entire body was shutting down, and I was in the worst pain I'd ever experienced. I won't forget the fear in the all the medical teams eyes, because I was deteriorating so quickly as each antibiotic they gave me wasn't working, as my kidneys and bladder were starting to shut down and my veins collapsing. All my IVs were failing. I was going into septic shock!

I went back into hospital 12 days after having my c-section, thinking I maybe had an infection in my incision, but it was the sepsis in my kidneys and bladder. I began uncontrollably shaking, being freezing cold but having a temperature of 42 degrees, I was feeling lightheaded, and my heart rate had highs of 152. My whole body hurt while all my observations entered dangerous levels. One amazing doctor found two of the strongest antibiotics there were, after the other 4 didn't work, and they were soon given to me with various of other medications to help control my symptoms. They saved my life.

October 2024, at the time 4 month old baby Miller had a raging temp and nothing was bringing it down and he wasn’t feeding, the doctors sending us straight to hospital.

The paediatric doctor saw him straight away as his temp was reaching 40.7°c and being dehydrated from not feeding.

With Miller being so young, they wanted to get everything tested. First, with a covid/flu and RSV, which came back negative, checked his sugar levels, which came back quite low. This is when talks of sepsis and meningitis came into conversation as Miller could barely stay awake and wasn't focusing on anything. His heart rate was getting quite high too.

A canula was fitted, and his first lot of bloods were taken. This broke my heart hearing him scream! We were told to leave the room while the lumber puncture was being done, leaving Miller was the worst, and I cried so much.

Miller at this point was admitted to a high dependency unit on the children's ward connected to a heart monitor. Antibiotics were started straight away, he was on 3 different antibiotics to help fight the infection that had spread to his bloodstream! Miller was now septic and his bloods were showing really high infection markers and they couldn't find the source of the infection.

Miller ended up having a sedative to help give his body a chance to fight the infections and he was getting so distressed with how poorly he was.

Miller tested positive for E.Coli. He was then discharged, and we carried on with his antibiotics as we were told to do so. 3 days later, just 3 days.. his temperature started to come back up. 39.7°c was his temperature when we were sent back to hospital. This is when the seizures started.. he was taken to another room. His temperature was 43°c, his heart rate was 255, and he had multiple seizures back to back.

The crash button was pressed as the doctor thought he was going into SVT. 14 doctors in total were in that room with Miller! I have never seen anything so scary in my life. Us as parents want to do everything we can to protect our babies, but being told to leave the room was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever had to do.

Miller was diagnosed with acute pyelonephritis, which can be organ and life threatening. As well as this, the E.Coli was in his bloodstream and was an antibiotic resistant bacteria. Millers poor little body was overwhelmed and sepsis took over.

Multiple tests were done test were done to find the right antibiotic to fight the sepsis.

We both almost lost our lives to sepsis and we are so lucky to be alive.

I want to raise awareness, and spark the question: What is sepsis? In this way, fundraising can help prevent thousands of deaths, unnecessary suffering through knowledge, awareness of the symptoms. It also funds our vital support work, Public Awareness, Educating Health Professionals & helping people adjust to life after sepsis through accessing our Support Group network. We also lobby government to support our cause and makes vital changes in areas such as the NHS.