On 23 August 2022, Archie William Read died from sepsis on his first birthday. His sudden passing left his family and loved ones devastated, and shook the community, but it also ignited a movement. Determined that no other family should endure the same loss, Archie’s parents — drawing on their profound love for Archie and his siblings — created Walk for Archie, an annual event that honours his life and raises awareness of sepsis.
Each September, close to World Sepsis Day, family, friends, and supporters gather at Speers Point, Lake Macquarie, NSW. The walk follows a six‑kilometre route along the foreshore, beginning and ending at the Sailing Club — a place Archie and his mother loved to visit together. Participants wear blue, Archie’s colour, symbolising both remembrance and hope.
Walking for Change
Walk for Archie honours the life of Archie William Read and ensures his story becomes a legacy for change. By sharing Archie’s experience, his family, friends, and community ensure that awareness spreads beyond Lake Macquarie to communities across Australia. Each step taken is a reminder that sepsis can affect anyone, at any age, and that early recognition saves lives.
Archie’s legacy is one of love, courage, and determination. By walking together, consumers and clinicians alike strengthen the call to make sepsis awareness a national priority.