Sepsis is life threatening…if concerned, seek advice immediately and ask #coulditbesepsis?
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Lorraine’s kind, strong and amazing mother Lillian died from sepsis on 7 December 2019. Lillians’s memory is kept alive by her compassionate and devoted daughter who strives to raise sepsis awareness.
Lorraine “Two years ago my mum Lillian was diagnosed with Sepsis and rushed to Intensive Care where she was quickly hooked up to numerous drips to help her body function, nurses monitoring and adjusting dosages never leaving her room for hours on end as all her organs were shutting down. She was not expected to survive the night but the doctors did not realise the strength she had and 18 days later she came back home Mum and was lucky to be able to meet her new great grandson and great, great grandson both born a few months later.
Unfortunately the battle with Sepsis was not over and over the following two years Mum endured constant pain and illnesses and sadly passed away on the 7th December last year.
I had no idea what Sepsis is and how catastrophic it can be and the affects it has on patients and their family. It can be triggered by an infected minor cut or scratch or a more serious systemic infection, as with my mum. The body’s response to the infection injures its own tissues and organs. It may lead to shock, multi-organ failure, and death – especially if not recognised early and treated promptly.
Vital funds are needed not only for studies and education but to provide clinical care to patients and I would like to help in a small way. On the first anniversary of mums death on the 7th December to honour the memory of mum a donation will be made to Australian Sepsis Network from her family and friends”.
Thank you Lorraine for your resilliance, strength and generosity. To all of those who have lost loved ones to sepsis our love and thoughts are with you, together we will strive to reduce sepsis in Australia and improve outcomes and quality of life for survivors. ASN
A matter of minutes! On Christmas Day two years ago Mick O’Dowd was feeling unwell. 24 hours later he was battling for his life. The life-affirming story of Mick and Katharine O’Dowd and the silent killer most people have never heard of, sepsis.
Watch this incredible Australian Story of survival, resilience, loving support and recovery from sepsis.
Shout out to the highly skilled clinical team at Concord Hospital.
Watch the episode here on:
Youtube https://bit.ly/3kX0EvM
OR
Iview https://iview.abc.net.au/show/australian-story/series/2020/video/NC2002Q032S00
Firstly, I want to thank the doctors and nurses and to highlight that my encounter with sepsis “was a medical mystery” like many others who have suffered sepsis, it can be an elusive disease with devastating consequences.
My story:
To learn more about Caitlin’s incredible story see: Caitlin’s Sepsis Story – wearing her scars with pride
In 2013, Mandy Mccracken lost her hands and feet to Sepsis at the age of 39. It began with a fever, vomiting and diarrhoea and lead to a ten month long hospital stay. Now with the aid of prosthetic hands and legs, Mandy has returned to driving, gardening, cooking and she has even gone back to occasionally rock climbing. With the help of her husband Rod and their three daughters, Mandy is continuing to live a vibrant and fun filled life.
After meeting other quadruple amputees, Mandy and fellow amputee, Korrin Barrett began the Quad Squad. The worlds only support group for people specifically missing all four limbs, the Quad Squad now has over 230 members and is a place to connect and support one another. Meeting biannually in Australia, Mandy facilitates the Quad Squad Muster, where quadruple amputees share tips and ideas as well as hear from industry experts.
As a regular face in the media and through her blogs, Mandy has shared her story and aims to make disability a regular part of our conversations. She regularly volunteers with prosthetic students and speaks to community and corporate groups about resilience and dealing with change. “Life is one giant social experiment.”
Get in touch through her website or follow her on Facebook.
As an 18-year-old Honours Law student, Maddy was intelligent, beautiful, very independent, wickedly funny with sarcastic undertones (sometimes irreverent) and a great lover of all of God’s creatures, in particular dogs. Maddy was larger than life, a high achiever that typically got what she wanted, through sheer dedication and perseverance.
Maddy attended the Queensland Tennis School of Excellence at Kelvin Grove State College, during her high school years. She loved the social side of Tennis and was much loved by her Tennis Fraternity. She fought hard in every game to make sure she won as she was very competitive. After leaving school and whilst attending University, she returned to her love of tennis by coaching young children in the sport at Southern Cross Tennis. This was an extraordinary effort on her part as she was studying a double degree and working as many hours as she could at Grill’d, to earn her own income.
Maddy worked hard, was loved and respected by all those that she worked with, and she enjoyed spending her money on the finer things in life. Maddy was meticulous at looking after herself. She paid attention to her fitness, attended the Gym, spared no expense with her makeup and hair, and it showed. She was a very pretty young lady.
That’s why we are still coming to terms with how, just two weeks shy of her 19th Birthday, Maddy became ill with Influenza, developed pneumonia, and just over one week later, died from Sepsis, in Intensive Care.
Through Maddy’s story, her legacy, she will continue to be an achiever by saving the lives of others. Please educate yourself, your family and friends about Sepsis. Share Maddy’s story. Get the Flu Shot and know the signs of Sepsis. It might not just be the flu. Ask the question ‘Could it be Sepsis?’
To learn more about Maddy’s story go to her website Maddy’s story
Little Mia Wilkinson might only be six, but already her story could span lifetimes. Little Mia is a pocket rocket who, despite her young age, just happens to be one of the gutsiest people you’ll ever meet.
Mia could well have been another casualty of the deadly flu outbreak. This year, the numbers are frightening – it’s not just the sick and elderly, but the young and healthy. Australia is in the midst of the second-deadliest flu season on record. More than 130 thousand cases have already been reported, and there have been more than 230 deaths.
Just a year and a half ago, Mia was a happy, healthy girl, full of beans and just learning how to ride a bike. Then, within hours of coming down with the flu, she was fighting for her life. Her parents, Peter and Amy, were forced to make the most agonising decision: whether to let doctors amputate all four of her limbs.
To see more of this compelling story of bravery and love see Mia the flu and sepsis
To support Mia and learn more about her journey see Movement for Mia
Matthew Ames was 39 years old when what started as a sore throat resulted in the loss of all four of his limbs. He had contracted streptococcal resulting in toxic shock and was never expected to survive. Matthew has beaten the odds, spurred on by the fact that he is the father of four young children and husband of a very dedicated wife determined to grow old with him.
MATTHEW’S CHALLENGE
Since his limbs were removed, Matthew has been faced with incredible challenges. Some of the biggest have been in knowledge available to him about his prospects and ideas about how much he should expect to be able to do. He is one of very few quadruple amputees in Australia, let alone globally. His limbs are significantly shorter than most and at present he relies entirely on his core strength to sit upright and move. Most prosthetics are designed in the context that other limbs are available (arm prosthetics, for example, that have levers that need another arm to manoeuvre).
Matthew has developed his own ideas about what he needs, and the simple tasks of being able to walk unassisted and feed himself are at the top of the list.
To be able to do this, he needs prosthetics that will cost around $500,000 per set. They will need replacing every 5 – 7 years. Matthew’s amputations were not acquired as a workplace or car accident, and he is too young to receive assistance as someone over 65, so the acquisition of these limbs and associated support is largely unfunded.
Matthew came home in the first half of 2013 and has continued to focus on his rehabilitation and sharing his story of resilience with others. He has also been communicating with government about disability services on behalf of those like him who fall through the funding cracks, and to raise awareness of issues in support for amputees.
SEVEN YEARS ON
Matthew has met many unexpected milestones, such as learning to drive his modified car. He can be seen around Brisbane on the sidelines cheering on one (or more) of the children playing sport. He serves on boards for organisations such as Hear and Say, and works closely with the government and other organisations to prevent sepsis happening to others. He also gives the odd speech and appears on stage every now and then.
The next milestone is a set of new legs that Matthew has been training for. These legs will have knees and will help him become taller. They present a whole new set of challenges, mainly not falling!
For more information on Matt’s journey please click here.
Matt wouldn’t be where his is now without the amazing support of community, friends, family, medical experts – the list is very long.
Quite simply, thank you.
Korina is married to Daniel, mother to two young children, Hayden and Amelia, and enjoys a very close bond with her parents, Chris and Sandra, and sister Crystal. Dedicated to her husband, children and extended family, with a wide social network of friends and work colleagues, Korina embraced life.
However, In April 2015, one week before her 28th birthday, Korina became seriously ill with symptoms doctors thought to be influenza but was in fact a life threatening bacterial infection. Korina’s condition rapidly deteriorated and doctors held grave fears for her survival and placed her on life support as vital organs shut down.
Korina was now facing the biggest challenge of her young life – the battle to survive this insidious infection that could potentially take her life.
Against all odds, with drive and determination coupled with the love and support of extended family and friends, as well as competent and caring medical teams Korina survived. Unfortunately the severity of her condition resulted in quadruple amputations devastating this young couple and bringing a new set of challenges for them to overcome. Both arms were amputated just below the elbow, one leg close to her hip and the other leg just below her knee.
Prosthetics and medical aids are very costly with prosthetics needing to be replaced every 7 – 10 years during Korina’s lifetime. Government funding will not cover all these costs therefore the charity needs as much help as possible to raise funds to ensure Korina enjoys a basic quality of life.
Korina’s inspirational story is shared here in the hope that she can be supported through the toughest challenge of her life.
For more information please see: http://www.reaching4korina.com.au/
It has been more than 7 years since Katie nearly lost her life to sepsis. In early 2010, Katie was a recent high school graduate and looking forward to studying make-up artistry. Then 18 years old, Katie developed a renal abscess that led to septic shock. At first, she assumed she had the flu and remembers feeling unwell for a week or so. One night she had back pain that was so excruciating she could only crawl to the bathroom.
A visit to a GP revealed Katie likely had a urinary tract infection (UTI). She returned home but remained in pain, with fever and constant vomiting. At one point she developed uncontrollable tremors and was unable to walk. Katie recalls being conscious of what she was saying to her then-boyfriend – she was so convinced she was going to die and wanted him to remember her has a good and kind person.
Katie’s partner eventually took her to the emergency department at the nearest hospital, on advice from his mother. She says she felt so unwell at this point, it is ‘indescribable’.
Katie and her mum shortly after her time in hospital
Arriving at the hospital, Katie could not stand or walk on her own, and was very confused – unable to answer simple questions about what day it was or how old she was. She was transferred to a larger hospital nearby, where she had a central line and an arterial line inserted, to monitor her dangerously low blood pressure.
A CT scan confirmed a renal abscess, caused by the UTI. Katie’s body had developed sepsis in response to the infection.
Katie’s memory of this time is very patchy: she was confused, scared, and felt completely alone.
Shortly after – and despite being so unwell – she was transferred once again, this time to Melbourne’s Austin Hospital. The medical staff there were surprised Katie had survived the ambulance trip, and immediately placed her in the intensive care unit (ICU), where she was given adrenaline. Doctors tried to treat the infection with IV antibiotics, but the bacteria was resistant to all antibiotics. As a last resort, a drain was inserted into the abscess – without anaesthesia, as Katie was too sick to be put under. She remembers this being extremely painful, but is thankful for the procedure as it saved her life.
Katie was in ICU for close to a week, and then transferred to a ward as she began to recover. She suffered a collapsed lung and constant pain, and was also diagnosed with glandular fever, but her parents were by her side the entire time. She has a happy memory of her parents ‘busting her out’ one afternoon for lunch at McDonalds.
After two weeks on a general ward, Katie was discharged from hospital. She had to learn to walk again, and it took two years for her to feel recovered. But more than 7 years on, Katie is still experiencing the impact of sepsis. She takes sleep medication every night, and suffers from ongoing muscle pain. Like many sepsis survivors, Katie has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Katie today
‘A lot of the time when people around you see your body has healed, they assume you have also healed emotionally’ says Katie. ‘But the emotional stuff tends to stick around for a lot longer’.
Katie’s experience with sepsis has inspired her to help others, and she is now halfway through a nursing degree. As a passionate sepsis awareness advocate, Katie wants to help other survivors feel less alone, and to raise awareness of sepsis within the community. She is grateful for the doctors and nurses who cared for her and saved her life. As a nurse, she hopes to do the same for someone one day.
Thomas Snell, or ‘Snelly’ as he was affectionately known, was a popular, bright and mature 13 year old from the Northern Territory. A natural and talented athlete – and winner of many ‘Best and Fairest Awards’ – Thomas played cricket, AFL and rugby union, and could often be found outdoors, fishing, skiing, or bike-riding, or perfecting his cricket bowling skills. He was an animal lover and would spend countless hours with his dogs, pigs and his chickens, Blackie and Oprah.
Thomas at home in Acacia Hills, NT
Thomas was a keen and talented rugby player
In late June 2017, Thomas was in Brisbane, representing the Northern Territory in the Queensland Rugby Union Junior State Championships. Several of Thomas’ teammates had contracted the flu, and he became unwell the night before a game. A GP visit determined Thomas was suffering from ‘gastro’. He was sent home with tablets and advised to rest, but his condition quickly deteriorated – his breathing becoming shallow, and his skin discoloured.
Only five hours after seeing the GP, Thomas was taken to Brisbane’s Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital. He was already in complete organ failure.
Thomas spent the next three weeks on a distressing rollercoaster ride in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU), being placed on two consecutive ECMO life support machines, and fighting very hard to survive. His lungs were damaged from pneumonia and ongoing infections that had triggered septic shock, and he was facing amputation of his hands and legs. This time was incredibly difficult for Thomas and his family.
Twenty days after being admitted to the ICU, Thomas’ condition had deteriorated even further. Hi parents, together with his medical team, made the devastating decision to turn off his life support.
When the time came to turn off his life support machines, Thomas was wheeled outside on his hospital bed and took his last breaths as the sun set. His parents were by his side.
Thomas (front) with his family in 2016
Almost a year after Thomas’ death, his family is still coming to terms with the loss of their son and brother, who they will always remember as loyal and humble, with a contagious laugh and dry sense of humour. The backyard cricket pitch where Thomas spent countless hours is now his resting place, and a special space for his family.
Thomas’ parents, Amanda and Phillip, are passionate about promoting sepsis awareness, so that no other family has to experience the loss they and Thomas’ younger brother now live with. They have established a foundation in memory of Thomas, and are campaigning to raise funds and increase public education about sepsis.