A Scots mum whose daughter died of a “silent killer” is warning people of the symptoms of sepsis that claims the lives of five people an hour in the UK.
Grieving Julie Stickland’s life was ripped apart when 26-year-old Chloe died four days after becoming unwell.
She said: “We thought she had a 48-hour sickness bug. She was fine on the Wednesday and dead on the Sunday.
“Chloe was my purpose in life. Now she’s not here, I’ll make raising awareness of sepsis my purpose in the hope it saves one life and stops another family from going through what we are.”
A deadly and rapidly moving infection with fatal results if victims fail to seek medical attention, sepsis is a bigger killer than bowel, breast and pancreatic cancer combined.
Julie, from Dumfries, initially thought Chloe had a sickness bug when she became ill at their Locharbriggs home in May last year.
When a rash later appeared and Chloe complained of having sore eyes, Julie then thought it could be meningitis.
She said: “I phoned NHS 24 around 6am on the Saturday morning and they immediately sent an ambulance to take Chloe to Dumfries Infirmary.
“I didn’t leave her side, but around 11.30pm that night, I went home for a couple of hours sleep.
“My husband Ken and I were woken by the police banging on the door at 2am on the Sunday telling us to phone the hospital straight away.
“We were told Chloe had had a cardiac arrest and died. My life fell apart. She had been born with a heart defect and we nearly lost her in 2005.
“She’d had a major heart operation but then had a massive internal bleed and was in a critical condition.
“The July before she died, she had a replacement valve put in at the Golden Jubilee.
“To go through all of that, and then die of sepsis, is something I could never have imagined happening.”
Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to an infection spirals rapidly out of control, injuring its own tissues and organs which can result in multiple organ failure and death.
The biological processes that cause sepsis are still not well understood, which is why more research is required to save lives.
It is also vital that people learn the signs and symptoms of sepsis so they can seek medical attention in time.
With September being Sepsis Awareness Month and next Tuesday World Sepsis Day, Julie decided to take to the skies and do a wing walk in memory of Chloe and in aid of the UK Sepsis Trust.
The goal of the charity is to end preventable deaths from sepsis and improve outcomes for survivors.
Julie said: “I’ll be doing the wing walk on September 26 at Headcorn in Ashford, Kent.
“Every donation that people make will help this cause that means so much to me.
“I just want people to talk about sepsis and be aware of the symptoms so that it stops other families going through what we are. I have to go on for my husband, my two other children and my three-year-old grandson, who Chloe adored.
“Losing a child is like a pain you can’t describe. You are constantly aching to have them back with you.
“Chloe was the smallest in the house but made the most noise, and life is so quiet without her.
“If I could save just one person’s life by someone recognising the symptoms I know I will have done Chloe proud.”
To make a donation, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/julie-stickland3.
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