Jason Watkins discusses sepsis in ITV documentary after family tragedy as UK Sepsis Trust raises awareness

Sepsis, the body’s extreme response to an infection, accounts for 50,000 deaths every year in the UK. This is more lives lost than cancer.

The life-threatening medical emergency affects millions yet it has been somewhat forgotten as people continue to emerge from being immersed in the world of knowledge about Covid-19.

Actor Jason Watkins and his wife Clara are just some of those who have been left bereaved as they sadly lost their two-year-old daughter Maude in 2011 after she developed a respiratory infection that led to sepsis.

The 60-year-old speaks about not only finding his young daughter in her bed on New Year’s Day that year but also discussed how Maude’s flu symptoms disguised a sepsis diagnosis despite two hospital visits, in his upcoming ITV documentary, ‘Jason & Clara: In Memory of Maudie.’

Ahead of Jason and Clara’s documentary airing, the couple appeared on This Morning with Jason stating he ‘still blames himself’ after Maude was discharged a second time, while Clara expressed ‘regret’ over accepting the doctor’s diagnosis of croup.In the documentary, Jason said: “Maude’s loss can save lives. Sharing her story and what happened and our story, that we offer hope for families, for parents that have lost children, that’s what I want Maude’s memory to do.”

Following the inquest into Maude’s death, Jason Watkins, who is also a patron of Child Bereavement UK, has been working with the UK Sepsis Trust as an ambassador to raise awareness to the cause.

The UK Sepsis Trust’s founder Dr Ron Daniels spoke to PeopleWorld about why it is so important to develop our understanding of sepsis and how they help those affected by the sickness:

Dr Daniels said: “[Sepsis] is a medical emergency and so it is absolutely critical that we make our public aware, as Jason and Clara are doing with this incredibly moving documentary, of the signs and symptoms of sepsis, so they can be empowered to access healthcare quickly.

“As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, the plight of people affected by other conditions comes to the fore and sepsis, as a condition, is responsible for one in five lives lost worldwide so it has to become one of the most prominent.”

Dr Daniels was optimistic that members of the public would be motivated to develop their understanding and knowledge of sepsis following their desire to find out about their health during the pandemic. 

He added: “Now is the time to harvest that thirst for knowledge, harness that interest in people’s own health with respect to infection and remind people that sepsis is a huge killer across the world and it is something they need to have in the back of their minds.”

As mentioned, sepsis affects 49 million people around the world claiming 11 million lives every year.

Most people who develop sepsis can become increasingly unwell over a day or two, but with the most severe forms, those affected can find their health rapidly declining in a small number of hours.

“For every hour we wait to deliver antibiotics for patients with sepsis, the chance of them surviving drops by one or two percent, so it really is a time critical emergency,” said Dr Daniels.

Sepsis can affect anyone with symptoms differing between children and adults as the former may not be able to communicate how they are feeling.

In adults, the symptoms spell the word sepsis namely blurred speech or confusion, extreme pain in the muscles or joints, passing no urine in a day, severe breathlessness, the sensation of ‘It feels like I am going to die’ and skin that is mottled, discoloured or very pale.

While signs to look out for in children include them breathing very fast, having a ‘fit’ or convulsion, a pale complexion or a rash that does not fade when you press it, very lethargic or difficult to wake and feeling abnormally cold to touch.

“The key thing for parents is that they need to trust their instincts as they know their child better than any medical help professional and so if they are not behaving like you have seen before, you just need to ask that question - could it be sepsis?” said Dr Daniels.

This can be seen by Merope Mills’ story in The Guardian who after relying on her ‘blind faith in doctors’, sadly lost her 13-year-old daughter to sepsis.

The UK Sepsis Trust not only works to raise awareness to the medical emergency but also helps the three groups of people who are affected including the people who have survived and experience life-changing after effects, the people who are bereaved by sepsis; and the families of survivors.

Dr Daniels stated that “The family expects that when their loved ones are home they are going to rapidly return to normal, but the reality is that it can take a year to 18 months for a person to approach anything like their previous level of function.”

Jason Watkins’ documentary and Dr Daniels’ mission comes as the founder of the UK Sepsis Trust prepares to speak at the World Sepsis Congress on 25 and 25 April 2023 to raise further awareness.

If you or anyone you know experiences any of those six symptoms, the UK Sepsis Trust urges you to visit A&E as with early diagnosis, sepsis can be treated with antibiotics.

You can watch Jason & Clara’s documentary on ITV Hub or ITV1 tonight at 9pm and visit the UK Sepsis Trust's website for further information.