“I am so grateful”: Mum thanks crew for spotting toddler’s sepsis

A mum has thanked the ambulance team who rushed to her son’s aid when he suffered a serious blood infection.

Shauna Tate called 111 on the morning of Friday, March 25^th, because two-year-old Fox was running a high temperature and was “really floppy”.

Ten minutes later, Paramedic Amy Hammerton and Student Paramedic Michael Bucher were dispatched to the family home in Shadwell, near Thetford. The duo recognised his condition as suspected sepsis and blue lighted him to hospital. His illness was initially treated as a viral infection, but two days later, Shauna took her son back to hospital after Fox started being sick and his lips turned blue.

A blood test confirmed that Fox had sepsis as a result of a throat infection - he spent eight days in hospital and required an operation to remove fluid from his elbow. Thankfully, he’s now on the road to recovery after a six week course of antibiotics.

Shauna said the whole experience was “surreal and petrifying”. However, she was “extremely grateful” to Amy and Michael for recognising Fox’s condition. Last week (11^th July), Shauna got to say thank you to the pair in person when they were reunited at Thetford ambulance station.

She told them: “Before taking us to the hospital we agreed that Fox had sepsis. We were discharged later that day, but could not get your words out of my head. That’s why I took him back two days later. Too scared to waste paramedics’ time again, I drove myself at 4am shaking with fear. I trusted your initial instincts and you were right.

“I am so grateful for your confidence and honesty. It could have been too late and it wasn’t. We will always be thankful.”

On the back of her experience, Shauna is now planning to become a community first responder.

Published 20th July, 2016