An Edinburgh sepsis survivor is supporting the charity Sepsis Research FEAT by becoming the Scottish face of its Christmas campaign to help people learn the symptoms of sepsis and save more lives this winter.
Kimberley Bradley from Portobello, Edinburgh, contracted sepsis in April 2019. She initially felt cold and shivery following a family walk on Easter Weekend but grew rapidly more unwell. Thanks to her husband Nathan who insisted on calling emergency services, she was taken to hospital and her life was saved. However, she has undergone considerable treatment as a result of sepsis, including being in an induced coma for eight days, surgery to amputate her toes and dialysis for her kidneys. Over two years on, Kimberley is still receiving treatment.
Approximately 50,000 people die from sepsis every year in the UK, with over 4,000 of them in Scotland. 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.
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 two or more of the five key symptoms becoming rapidly worse, this indicates sepsis and urgent medical attention should be sought.
The five key symptoms of sepsis are:
- very high or low temperature
- uncontrolled shivering
- confusion
- passing little urine
- blotchy or cold arms and legs
As the UK’s only charity dedicated to funding research into sepsis while working to raise awareness, Sepsis Research FEAT understands the importance of increasing everyone’s knowledge about this deadly condition. If people are able to recognise the signs and symptoms of sepsis, they can quickly seek the correct medical help and improve their chances of recovery. For every hour treatment is delayed, a person’s chance of survival reduces by over 7%.
Sepsis Research FEAT’s Christmas campaign features supporters like Kimberley from across the UK who are sharing their sepsis stories to raise awareness and save more lives. Kimberley has been helping Sepsis Research FEAT throughout 2021, including speaking at the charity’s annual World Sepsis Day event in September. In October she represented the charity during Health Secretary Humza Yousaf’s visit to the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, home of the GenOMICC research study which the charity has supported since 2018.
Kimberley was unaware of sepsis prior to her diagnosis but encourages people to let someone know when feeling unwell. She said: “Trust your own instincts and, if you are feeling ill, be sure that you let someone know. If my husband hadn’t checked on me through the night, I wouldn’t have survived until the morning”.
Colin Graham, Chief Operating Officer at Sepsis Research FEAT, said: “It is vital that everyone knows the symptoms of sepsis so they can seek the correct medical treatment in time. Sepsis is an indiscriminate, deadly condition that can kill a healthy adult in a matter of hours. Because the symptoms are sometimes similar, cases of sepsis can be mistaken for the flu, 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 urgent medical attention as this can improve chances of survival.
“We are incredibly grateful to supporters like Kimberley for sharing their stories this Christmas to help others learn more about sepsis. Our Christmas campaign celebrates Kimberley and other sepsis survivors who were fortunate to have been diagnosed early enough and whose treatment was successful. At the same time, we remember the many people whose lives have been lost to sepsis and so our charity and supporters fight on in their name to continue to raise awareness and fund vital research.
“Please join us this Christmas by spreading the word about sepsis and how to recognise the symptoms. If you have personal experience of sepsis then please consider sharing your story online using #StopSepsisNow. You can also take part in fundraising to support us in continuing our work to raise awareness of the devastating impact of sepsis and help to save lives this Christmas.”
