As parents, nothing matters more to us than our children. We do everything we can to keep them safe, but sometimes dangers appear in ways we don’t anticipate. I’m sharing this in memory of our beloved son, Archie, who we lost to sepsis—a condition that can be difficult to recognise but is vital to understand.
What is Sepsis?
Sepsis is the body’s extreme response to an infection. It’s a life-threatening medical emergency that happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body. Without timely treatment, sepsis can rapidly lead to tissue damage, organ failure, and death.
Archie had 4 signs -
- Problems Feeding
- Less Wet Nappies
- Sleepy
- A light rash - which started to appear on his back on admission
Archie 2 days before hospital admission: feeding a little less, grizzly, fever and red cheeks
Archie the morning I took him to ED; he had not fed since 5pm the evening before. He didn't have a wet nappy overnight and was no longer fevering.
It’s important to note that not all serious infections present with a fever. Archie did not have a fever when we took him to the hospital, which can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis.
In Archie’s case, he was initially assumed to have a viral infection and not a bacterial one. Unfortunately, this assumption led to a delay in the proper treatment. Sepsis can develop quickly, and it’s crucial to ask the right questions and push for further tests if necessary. If your child’s condition worsens, don’t hesitate to ask COULD IT BE SEPSIS?
The infection Archie had is called Group A Streptococcus.
If I could go back in time, I would have made sure I was better educated. While it's not our role to diagnose our children, I wish I had known more. I would have insisted that 10 hours of trying fluids with no urine output was unacceptable. I would have asked them to take bloods, I would have pushed for a second opinion and challenged the doctor who said “he will wee, they always do” after being there for 8 hours.
Trust your instincts as a parent. You know your child better than anyone, and if something doesn’t feel right, it’s better to be cautious.
By sharing Archie’s story, we hope to raise awareness and help other parents recognise the signs of sepsis early, don’t be afraid to advocate, so they can take action and say COULD IT BE SEPSIS?
Early detection and treatment can make all the difference.
After several investigations, it was found that there were 8 missed opportunities to recognise how critically ill Archie was while he was in hospital. If these issues had been identified, it is believed that Archie would still be alive today.
To honour Archie and raise awareness about sepsis, we will be holding the Walk for Archie at 8 am on September 14. If you're local, we would love to have you join us starting at Speers Point Sailing Club, Lake Macquarie. We ask for a donation of your choice to participate. Donations go to Sepsis Australia to assist them in their mission to raise awareness about Sepsis.
If you can’t attend in person, we encourage you to take a walk wherever you are, start a conversation about sepsis, wear blue and tag Walk for Archie on socials.
You can find out more information about our walk, sepsis, how to donate and Archie at the website https://walkforarchie.au
Note from Nikki: On September 14, I will be walking in Lake Macquarie in memory of Archie, to raise awareness and help prevent sepsis-related deaths. If you can, please join us in honouring Archie’s legacy and spreading the word 💙
