A young woman's life was tragically cut short due to the deathly virus, sepsis, she contracted. The woman, who was described by her family as "healthy and fit," also had to have four of her limbs amputated prior to her death.
A Vacation Gone Awry
Rachel Day took time off from her job at Llanishen Leisure Centre to go on a vacation with her family at Cardiff Bay. However, in the early hours of May 28, 2017, Rachel claimed to have felt severely ill. Day visited A&E where she informed the staff that she was dying. She was sent home with paracetamol and told to rest. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse.
Day's parents, Steve and Bernie Day, stated that Rachel went into a septic state of shock and they discovered their daughter on the floor screaming in pain. Her blood pressure had dropped to a dangerously low level and had to spend the next 10 days of her life in the ICU.
Rachel's Fight For Her Life
Day's parents had to watch their daughter fight for her life and make the heartbreaking decision to amputate her left arm and both of her legs due to the infection becoming severe. Following the surgery, the doctors had to inform her parents that Rachel's right arm was also amputated.
Despite the amputation, the illness caused Day to develop blood clots in her vital organs, including her heart, brain, and lungs which eventually led to her death on June 7, 2017. Steve and Bernie have created a charity in their daughter's memory and are also working with the Sepsis Trust to raise more awareness about the disease. In an event that was held a few weeks after her death, over $4,000 dollars was raised which has paid for the Sepsis 6 Pathway scheme at Wales' largest hospital.
This now means that people who go to the hospital with a fever or symptoms of an infection will be immediately checked for sepsis.
"Rach left us a legacy of love, she adored life, her family, and friends and she touched the hearts of everyone she met in her short life. I will cry for Rach, my beautiful daughter, my soulmate every day but I will not let her down and I will remain strong," Bernie stated.
What Is Sepsis?
Sepsis is a rare but deadly infection that can lead to death without quick treatment. Some symptoms of sepsis include a fast heartbeat, chills and shivering, and a high fever.
If sepsis should become severe, a person may experience nausea and vomiting, loss of consciousness, a change in mental state, and slurred speech.
There are at least 150,000 cases of sepsis in the United Kingdom and over 40,000 deaths as a result of it. Day's parents stated there have been people who heard their daughter's story and got tested immediately for sepsis.
