JAZZ singer Natalie Rushdie only had a vague idea of what the deadly condition sepsis was – until she got it.
The mum of one said: “I was naive. I thought sepsis was for old people and you got it in hospital — but you don’t.
Natalie Rushdie said she did not know who she was and was struggling to breathe after developing sepsis
Natalie developed sepsis five days after catching Covid in 2021
“If you have an infection, it can lead to sepsis. Anyone can get sepsis.”
It is sometimes referred to as septicaemia, or blood poisoning, and is more precisely a serious consequence of septicaemia, when your immune system goes into overdrive to fight a bacterial infection, or poisoning, in the blood stream.
It can result in healthy tissue and organs being damaged, organ failure and even death.
Within five days of catching Covid in 2021, the 36-year-old from London said she “deteriorated massively” as she developed sepsis, and added: “I just went off a cliff.”
Natalie, the daughter-in-law of novelist Salman Rushdie, became disoriented, did not know who she was, was struggling to breathe and was falling in and out of consciousness.
She said: “There was a half-hour wait for an ambulance and my husband, Zafar, told them, ‘I don’t think she’s going to survive that long’.”
Sepsis kills more than five people an hour in the UK — that is 48,000 deaths a year.
Globally, it takes more lives than breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined, despite 25 per cent of deaths being preventable.
Colin Graham, of charity Sepsis Research FEAT, said: “Sepsis is the number one cause of preventable death in the world and can have life-changing consequences for those who survive.”
Singer Lily Allen and Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington were treated for sepsis following miscarriages, and Carol Vorderman has spoken about being hours from death because of the condition.
The Government is considering introducing “Martha’s rule” to make it easier for families to seek a second medical opinion in England.
It comes after 13-year-old Martha Mills died of sepsis in 2021 after doctors missed key signs and did not transfer her soon enough to intensive care.
Few of us know what causes sepsis, and diagnosis can be delayed.
Even healthcare professionals sometimes fail to spot the signs.
Natalie is sharing her story ahead of World Sepsis Day tomorrow. She ended up in London’s Charing Cross Hospital, twice, before finally getting a diagnosis.
By that point she was at death’s door.
Natalie said: “Looking back now, it was pretty obvious I had all the symptoms — vomiting, diarrhoea, I couldn’t get up from the floor. But A&E was completely overrun.”
During her first hospital stint, medics struggled to take her blood and she lost consciousness, which triggered the emergency call button.
Natalie recalled: “I was given calcium, told I had Covid, which I knew, and to go home. I was young, I’d recover. That was it.
“I knew something wasn’t right but you think, ‘If they think I can go home . . .’ and I was happy to get back to my seven-month-old, Rose, who I was still breastfeeding.”
‘Completely out of it’
The next day, Natalie’s oxygen levels plummeted.
She said: “I became disorientated, started shaking really badly and couldn’t breathe.”
Her husband Zafar, 43, a PR guru and son of author Salman, called the Covid hub who had seen Natalie the day before, and was told to wait for an ambulance.
Natalie said: “Zaf was holding Rose and they said, ‘Put the phone on speaker, we’re going to talk you through how to do CPR’.
“I was completely out of it.”
Luckily, she was “blue lighted” to hospital, where she underwent numerous tests.
Natalie said: “I love the NHS, they saved my life, but a nurse said to me, ‘I know it’s hard being a first-time mum, but you have to go home and look after your baby’.
“I was physically dying at that point.
“I said, ‘Rose is my everything.
“I can’t go home, I’m dying’.
“A symptom many sepsis survivors talk about is believing you are dying.”
Within an hour, more tests were carried out and Natalie was admitted to the hospital’s high dependency unit for intense observation.
She said: “It took 48 hours of tests to decide I was really sick.”
Natalie was put on nebulisers, oxygen, steroids, antibiotics, calcium, vitamin D — everything available — and it was still touch and go.
Natalie recalled: “I asked the consultant, ‘Am I going to survive?’ and he said, ‘I don’t know’.”
Natalie then joined a game-changing drug trial.
She said: “My immune system was working overtime, it was destroying me, so they destroyed it.”
Treatment was successful but it took a year and a half to recover from her two-week ordeal.
She said: “When I was discharged, I was wheeled out.
“Looking back, I probably should have stayed longer, but I was desperate to get home to Rose.
“I had a damaged liver, kidneys, lungs and heart, and my blood wasn’t right.
“I had a lot of trauma, flashbacks and nightmares.
“Every day in the hospital was the same and I had no visitors. Everything blurs.”
Natalie wants everyone to know the signs and, if unwell, to ask medics a question that could save their life: Do I have sepsis?
She said: “If you catch sepsis early enough, you are given antibiotics and you will survive.
“The problem is, people don’t catch it early enough, so I constantly say, just ask, ‘Do I have sepsis?’
“It flags the possibility.”
Sepsis Research FEAT, which Natalie is an ambassador for, is launching a survey to transform diagnosis and recovery.
It is inviting anyone affected to have their say to determine the top ten priorities for sepsis research.
Project co-lead, Dr Bronwen Connolly, from Queen’s University Belfast, said: “Sepsis is a devastating condition with widespread consequences for patients and their families.
“This study is incredibly important because there are still so many unanswered questions about sepsis for clinicians and researchers.”
Natalie was blindsided by how long it took her to recover and continues to worry.
She said: “I have so much trauma.
“If I get sick now, I freak out really quickly, because I’m like, ‘Oh gosh, is this it again?’.”
But two years on, she is back at work, running around after Rose and has released a single in memory of her friend, Sun columnist Dame Deborah James, who died of bowel cancer last year and who also suffered from sepsis.
Natalie said: “When you’ve had a moment where you might die, it does change your perspective on life.
“I’m very conscious that I’m very lucky to be here.”
To take part, the Sepsis Research FEAT survey will be available on World Sepsis Day at sepsisresearch.org.uk.
How to spot Sepsis
SEPSIS is life-threatening and difficult to spot, meaning treatment can be delayed.
Charity Sepsis Research FEAT says the five key symptoms to watch for are:
Confusion.
Not passing as much urine as normal.
Having a very high or low temperature.
Uncontrolled shivering.
Cold or blotchy arms and legs.
The charity says: “If someone has any of these symptoms and is becoming noticeably worse, this could indicate sepsis and urgent medical attention should be sought.”
There are many possible symptoms, with sepsis able to masquerade as a cold or flu.
The NHS advises calling 999 or going to A&E if a baby or young child has:
Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue. On brown or black skin, check the palms and soles of the feet.
A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it.
Difficulty breathing. For example, grunting noises or their stomach sucking under the ribcage.
Breathlessness or breathing very fast.
A weak, high-pitched cry that is not normal for them.
Not responding as usual or disinterested in feeding or normal activities.
Being sleepier than normal or difficult to wake.
If an adult or older child’s skin changes colour, they have a non-fading rash, find it difficult breathing, are acting confused, have slurred speech or are not making sense, call 999 or go to A&E. Trust your gut instinct.
Natalie was told by a nurse that she needed to go home and look after her daughter, Rose
She is the daughter-in-law of author Salman Rushdie
Sun Columnist Deborah James who died of bowel cancer last year also suffered from sepsis