Sam Faiers and sister Billie Shepherd have revealed the time their mother Suzie Wells was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening sepsis.
Former The Only Way Is Essex stars Sam, 31, and Billie, 32, said their mother’s water infection ‘severely deteriorated’, prompting her to be hospitalized.
The siblings said their parents experienced severe back pain and ‘delirium’ before doctors diagnosed her.
Tragedy: Sam Faiers (left) and sister Billie Shepherd (right) recall a harrowing time when their mother Suzie Wells (centre) was hospitalized with life-threatening sepsis
They said on the podcast The Sam and Billie Show: ‘Our mother is not very well. It started last week she had a water infection and it got worse and worse it will go into her mother’s kidneys.
‘So we took her to A&E because she deteriorated massively.
‘She was on antibiotics and it didn’t work. I tried to talk to a doctor and I told him all of her symptoms so he told me to take her to A&E because she needed medical attention.
Worried: Former The Only Way Is Essex stars Sam, 31, and Billie, 32, said their mother’s water infection ‘severely deteriorated’, prompting her to be hospitalized
‘Basically, the water infection got so bad that it turned into sepsis.’
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused when the body releases chemicals to fight infection.
These chemicals damage the body’s own tissues and organs and can lead to shock, organ failure, and death.
Fear: It comes after their estranged father Lee, 60, (pictured) was reportedly hospitalized after suffering a heart attack in recent weeks
Organ failure and death are more likely if sepsis is not recognized early and treated immediately.
Suzie has now gone home and has recovered from her ordeal, with the sisters adding: ‘Mum was in the hospital for about 15 hours in total and they cleaned up her system.
‘She’s fixing, that’s really good.’
It comes after Sam and Billie’s estranged father was ‘lucky to be alive after having a heart attack’ just weeks ago.
Both Billie and Sam have remained estranged from their biological father, Lee, 60, ever since he and mother Suzie split when they were toddlers.
A source told the publication: ‘Lee is lucky to be alive. His family was extremely scared and thought they would lose him. That is a big warning.
‘Lee loves his girls. Whether they say it or not, they are still his daughters.
‘You can argue about silly things, but the heart attack made him realize life is precious and it can take away at any moment. You only get one life.’
What are the main symptoms of sepsis? The ‘silent killer’ can kill in minutes
Sepsis, known as the ‘silent killer’, strikes when an infection like blood poisoning triggers an intense immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.
This is a potentially life-threatening condition, caused by infection or injury. Around 245,000 people develop sepsis in the UK each year and 52,000 die, according to the UK Sepsis Trust.
Instead of attacking the invading bug, the body turns itself on, shutting down vital organs.
If caught early, it’s easily treated with antibiotics and intravenous fluids, but they must be injected as soon as sepsis is suspected – it strikes at an alarming rate and every hour, the body’s muscles are broken. Patient mortality increased by 8%.
Sepsis is the leading cause of avoidable death killing 44,000 people every year
The early symptoms of sepsis can be easily confused with milder conditions, which means it is difficult to diagnose.
A high temperature (fever), chills and shivers, a fast heartbeat, and rapid breathing are also signs.
Patients can deteriorate rapidly if sepsis is ignored early, so prompt diagnosis and treatment is important – however this is rarely the case.
In its early stages, sepsis can be mistaken for a chest infection, flu, or abdominal pain.
It is most common and dangerous in older adults, pregnant women, children under the age of one, people with chronic illnesses, or people with weakened immune systems.
Six signs of something potentially deadly can be identified by the acronym ‘SEPSIS’:
- Slurred speech or confusion
- Extreme shivering or muscle pain
- Not peeing for a day
- Severe shortness of breath
- Spotted or discolored skin
Anyone who develops any of these symptoms should seek emergency medical help – and ask the doctors: ‘Could this be sepsis?’
Source: | Dailymail.co.uk
