A Dundee mum who contracted sepsis after the birth of her daughter was saved by the quick actions of her husband and the ‘incredible staff’ at Ninewells Hospital.
Now Amy Fyffe, 28, is sharing her ‘terrifying’ experience to warn others of the signs and symptoms of sepsis – a condition that claims five lives every hour in the UK.
And she’ll feature in a new podcast marking Sepsis Awareness Month for the charity Sepsis Research FEAT.
A week after baby Millie was born by emergency C-section last October, Amy was at home and recovering well.
When she suddenly collapsed and began vomiting, shivering and talking “utter nonsense”, Amy’s husband Jack immediately rang 999 for an ambulance.
Jack was told the wait would be four hours.
And, although he didn’t know what was wrong, his decision to take Amy straight to Ninewells Hospital was critical.
Amy explains: “During the journey from our house to the hospital, I became even more confused. It was very scary.
‘I didn’t recognise my husband or baby’
“I thought I was having my baby again and kept saying to my husband, ‘I think I’m in labour’, which was obviously impossible.”
Amy says she was also struggling to breathe.
“I was delirious, didn’t recognise where I was and I couldn’t tell people my own name. I didn’t recognise my husband or baby.
“It’s the most terrified I’ve ever been. I knew I was acting crazy but couldn’t do anything about it.”
The couple were later told that had they waited, the sepsis could have been life-threatening as it came on so suddenly.
“My husband was right to bring me in,” says Amy, a primary school teacher.
Staff at the hospital quickly took control of the situation.
“The staff were incredible,” Amy continues.
“They put drips in to get my temperature down and lots of antibiotics. A few hours later when I wasn’t ‘crazy’, they told me what had happened.
“They were so kind, even though I kept repeating the same question, they always answered in a welcoming and positive way.”
‘They genuinely saved my life’
Amy stayed in the hospital for three days for monitoring and was able to have husband Jack and baby Millie with her.
“The staff were so amazing, they even let my newborn baby and husband stay with me as I felt very scared and vulnerable, and didn’t want to leave my baby.
“I’m so very thankful of the staff’s knowledge and actions. They genuinely saved my life, I’ll forever be grateful to them.”
Medical staff could not find the source of infection that led to Amy’s sepsis but assumed it was internal and linked to her emergency section.
Amy says: “Once I was fully conscious, I was really scared about what could have happened. A family member died of sepsis two years earlier.
“If I’d been seen later, perhaps I wouldn’t be here to tell the story.”
New mums ‘at higher risk’
Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to an infection spirals rapidly out of control, injuring its own tissues and organs, potentially resulting in organ failure and death.
Amy is back to full health and enjoying gardening and running again in her spare time. But she is warning others to be aware of the symptoms of sepsis.
“I truly believe everyone should know the signs and what to do,” she says.
“In particular new mums like me who have had planned/emergency sections and are at higher risk. Don’t waste time waiting, just get to hospital right away.”
New podcast series
Colin Graham, Chief Operating Officer at Sepsis Research FEAT, said: “We are so grateful to Amy for taking part in our Words of Sepsis podcast and sharing her experience of this devastating condition. Please give it a listen.
“You can also get involved in Sepsis Awareness Month by helping to raise money to fund vital sepsis research and awareness work through our ‘Give Us 5’ campaign.”
- Words of Sepsis podcast episodes will be available via Apple podcasts, Google and Spotify, and also on the Sepsis Research FEAT website.
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