The Christmas campaign of Sepsis Research FEAT is to help people understand the devastating impact of sepsis and how to learn the symptoms.

Becki Finean, a 35-year-old mum of three and a history teacher from Gillingham was in labour in hospital in April 2016 when she became seriously unwell.

“Throughout the labour I kept repeatedly losing consciousness and was struggling to cope with contractions,” she said. She assumed she was having a difficult labour.

When Ben was born after 16 hours, Becki still felt poorly. Ben wouldn’t accept her milk. The midwives and nurses couldn’t explain why. After three days Becki discharged herself from hospital because she thought she would start to feel better at home. During her discharge obs, staff established her heart rate, temperature and blood pressure were abnormal. Becki was clearly very ill.

She was quickly visited by the sepsis lead ICU nurse from the hospital and admitted to intensive care. Becki said: “I felt completely overwhelmed as I didn’t even know what sepsis was.”

Craig looked after Ben while Becki was treated in the ICU for a week. “They told me that strep A bacteria had entered my body via a cut on my finger and from there into my stitches after the birth. During labour my body had been struggling to fight off the infection. And the reason that my son wouldn’t accept my milk was because he could taste the infection,” said Becki.

When she was finally discharged home it wasn’t quite the end of the story. Becki continued to experience after-effects of the illness. She was eventually diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and PND (Post Natal Depression) and received counselling for 18 months.

Happily, Becki has made a good recovery and last year she and Craig welcomed their third child – a daughter, Ella – into the family.

Sepsis takes the lives of approximately five people every hour in the UK. It is an indiscriminate, deadly condition that can kill a previously healthy adult or child in a matter of hours.

The five key symptoms of sepsis are:

• Confusion
• Not passing as much urine as normal
• Very high or low temperature
• Uncontrolled shivering
• Cold or blotchy arms and legs

Sepsis can be hard to recognise and diagnose because, in its early stages, it can have similar symptoms to common winter conditions like the flu and chest infections. However, if someone has any of the key symptoms becoming noticeably worse, this could indicate sepsis and urgent medical attention should be sought.

It can also be hard for people with sepsis to spot the signs in themselves as their health may deteriorate rapidly and they could become confused. Sepsis Research FEAT is urging people to look out for others this Christmas and seek medical attention on their behalf.

Colin Graham, Chief Operating Officer at Sepsis Research FEAT, said: “We are incredibly grateful to supporters like Becki for sharing their stories this Christmas to help others learn more about sepsis. Our new campaign celebrates Becki and other sepsis survivors who were fortunate to have been diagnosed early enough. At the same time, we remember the many people whose lives have been lost to sepsis. Our charity and supporters fight on in their name to continue to raise awareness and fund vital research.

“Sepsis is an indiscriminate, deadly condition that can kill a previously healthy adult or child in a matter of hours. Cases of sepsis could be mistaken for the flu because the symptoms are sometimes similar, particularly around Christmas and the winter months when flu is more common. The difference is that these symptoms worsen rapidly when sepsis is the cause. The most important thing is to react fast and seek medical attention because this can improve chances of survival.

“Please join us this Christmas by spreading the word about sepsis and how to recognise the symptoms. If you have personal experience of the condition then please consider sharing your story online using #StopSepsisNow. You can also take part in fundraising to support us to continue our work raising awareness of sepsis and funding ground-breaking research to help save lives.”

For more information about Sepsis Research FEAT and the charity’s Christmas campaign, visit https://sepsisresearch.org.uk