Many of you will know that last year - at the end of her first year of Uni - my eldest daughter, Lottie, ended up severely unwell in intensive care, after returning from a holiday to Brazil. What was misdiagnosed in A&E as a gastro bug turned out to be appendicitis, which ruptured her appendix and turned into life-threatening septic shock and the beginning of organ failure.

We were so lucky, and it was spotted at the last moment, when she collapsed. Though she still has some after-effects, the ‘what could have been’ scenarios are so much worse.

We hate thinking about that holiday and what came after, but we are both now passionate about sharing knowledge of the symptoms of sepsis (many we didn’t know - like the stating of "I think I'm going to die" - that's a real thing) and the need to ask “could it be sepsis?” when symptoms don’t quite add up.

This is particularly important at this time of year, as it affects so many young people heading off to University, at a time when their immune systems are taking hits from all sides and at their lowest.

The UK Sepsis Trust do a great job at Freshers Week for this very reason, but also they share as widely as possible the symptoms, what to do, what to ask, and how critical (and short) time is when you're in this situation.

They also support families when the worst has happened, and survivors suffering the after-effects.

Regarding the cold water week of fundraising, you all know I would (and will) very happily do this for free - but if any of you decide to take on the challenge, I will sponsor you all! 🙌🏼

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From The UK Sepsis Trust themselves:

Fundraising is at the heart of our fight against sepsis.

It raises awareness, and sparks 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.