Family's life 'changed overnight' when told son had sepsis

A mother has told how her family's lives changed overnight when her son developed life-threatening sepsis at the age of five.

Archie, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, was diagnosed with meningitis B which developed into sepsis and he spent five days in a coma in 2018.

He was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, where he received specialist care and rehabilitation before being discharged two weeks later.

His mother Kate said her son's illness "changed our lives overnight" and seeing him "so seriously unwell and fighting for his life was the most frightening time we have ever experienced as a family".

Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to infection anywhere in the body, where, instead of fighting the bacteria or virus that is making you ill, the immune system turns on itself, damaging internal organs and potentially causing death.

Now aged 13, Archie continues to receive care at the hospital, attending for regular check-ups, undergoing operations, and receiving physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

His family have since been fundraising for the past eight years to give back to the team who saved his life, raising more than £14,000 for the hospital.

Speaking during Sepsis Awareness Month, Kate said: "The support we received from hospital staff was fantastic. Their care for Archie throughout such a difficult time truly meant the world to us and helped us through some of our darkest days.

"We will always be incredibly grateful for the care and compassion our family received."

She said they wanted to give something back to the team who cared for Archie and to help make sure other children and families could receive the same support when they needed it most.

She and her family have taken part in a range of fundraising events, including Archie's grandfather climbing Cat Bells in the Lake District and his grandmother taking part in a sponsored head shave.

Anna Rosehill, from the Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, which raises funds for Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, said: "Archie's story shows the long-lasting impact that specialist care can have on children and their families.

"We are extremely grateful to Archie, Kate and their family for all of their fantastic fundraising efforts," she added.

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