A woman whose parents died of sepsis eight weeks apart developed the same life-threatening condition just four months later.
Lyndsey Feeney, 45, lost her parents Archie, 73, and Cathy, 72, in April and July 2024.
Lyndsey was still grieving when she was admitted to the hospital believing she had a kidney infection.
But he feared he would die when he was diagnosed with sepsis caused by a urinary tract infection.
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition in which the body’s response to an infection causes widespread inflammation that leads to organ damage or failure.
Between 20 and 50 percent of patients will die as a result of complications related to the condition.
Fortunately, the mother of three recovered after spending five days in the hospital.
Lyndsey, who receives disability benefit due to mental health problems, from Larkhall, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, said: ‘I was lucky to get mine back early.
Lyndsey’s mother, Cathy, died in the summer after contracting a urinary tract infection that turned septic.
‘But many people like my mother and father are not so lucky. I think there needs to be more awareness about the disease.
“It was really horrible to lose them both so close together; it still hasn’t come to terms with it.”
Lyndsey’s father Archie was in relatively good health when he fell and injured his arm in April this year, requiring him to be hospitalized.
But after six days in the ward, he developed cellulitis, a bacterial infection that affects the deeper layers of the skin.
The virus caused an extreme reaction in his body, which resulted in sepsis.
Lyndsey said: “They put him to sleep because he was delirious and they were taking him off his IV drips.”
“They told us he would wake up, but his organs started to fail.”
Archie passed away on April 26, 2024 from septic shock. Two months later, her mother, Cathy, who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also fell ill.
Lyndsey’s father, Archie, died two months after her mother earlier this year; both deaths were the result of sepsis diagnosed too late.
Lyndsey said: “Mum was very confused and lethargic so my sister Debbie called an ambulance but they didn’t arrive until almost 3am.”
Cathy was admitted to the hospital and died just 16 hours later as a result of a urinary infection that had caused sepsis.
Although Lyndsey believes the trauma of Archie’s death may have contributed to her mother’s rapid deterioration.
Then, in what seemed like an ongoing nightmare, Lyndsey fell ill earlier this month.
He suffered from back pain, high fever and difficulty urinating. Assuming he had contracted a urine infection, he didn’t think much of it.
But when her fever worsened, she had to go to the hospital, where she was immediately admitted.
To her horror, doctors revealed that she had suffered the same septic infection as her mother, instantly making her fear that she was destined to suffer the same fate.
Fortunately, the antibiotic treatment was successful and Lyndsey is now home, but she still has persistent back pain.
She said: ‘When I left hospital I was feeling much better. “I was very lucky to have caught it in time, but I am still afraid it could happen again.”
Lyndsey calls for greater awareness of this condition.
‘They call him the silent killer for a reason. If it is not detected in time, nothing can be done.”
Through her anguish, Lyndsey hopes to spread the message about the importance of recognizing the symptoms of sepsis: severe pain, high fever, rapid heart rate, confusion and lethargy.
She said: “It’s devastating, but if sharing my story can help save someone else then it’s worth it.”
Sepsis occurs when an infection, such as blood poisoning, causes a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.
It is the leading cause of preventable death, killing at least 44,000 people a year.