Patients & Family

Here you can find resources to help you or a loved one understand sepsis.

We are constantly adding new information, so please come back again to see what new features are available.

Diagnosed with Sepsis

You’re not alone

For anyone recently diagnosed with sepsis, this is the place to start. We cover the basics.

What Does it Mean

Faces of Sepsis

You’re not alone

Read stories from sepsis survivors and from people who have lost someone they love to sepsis. More than 1,000 stories cover the many types of infections that can cause sepsis, and the outcomes.

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Rosemarie Matarese

Survivor

My name is Rosemarie Matarese and I had sepsis when I was 3 years old. I was in the hospital for a month before my fourth birthday. The doctors did all different kinds of tests, everything from a spinal tap, to giving me an epidural. I barely remember all of this because for me my first memories start when I’m 5 years old. I was released from the hospital, and the long term effects of the sepsis have lingered for the years since because I’ve had seizures for the past 8 years and I just got diagnosed with absence seizures ... Read Full Story

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Christine Caron

Survivor, Survivor

Can you imagine waking up in ICU, being informed you have been there for a month… and having no idea how you got there?! Spring 2013, I had not been feeling quite myself for months. I had been under some heavy stress in both my personal and professional life. I had an infected blemish on my face and reoccurring bronchitis. May 16th, I was playing tug’a’war outside with my dogs when one accidentally nipped my left hand. (Sepsis and Animal Bites) This was not an act of aggression. I properly cleaned and disinfect the tiny break in the skin. There ... Read Full Story

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Emma Moss

Survivor, Survivor, Survivor

I felt completely fine in the lead up to my diagnosis. Monday night I woke up with a pain that I can’t fully describe but I knew something was wrong and that I needed to go to the hospital. I got up and got dressed but felt too weak to go so I lay back down. After a while I woke my partner, who then brought me to hospital. Once there I did some blood tests and x-rays which came back clear so I was sent home with a high fever and a viral infection. (Sepsis and Viral Infections) The ... Read Full Story

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Vickie M.

Survivor, Survivor, Survivor, Survivor

On January 21 I went to the urgent care with high fever and shortness of breath. I was discharged home and within 5 hours was admitted to ICU and placed on a ventilator for 11 days. I was diagnosed with septic pneumonia, respiratory failure and rhabdomyolysis. (Sepsis and Pneumonia) I was flown to a larger hospital, due to the current Covid pandemic aftercare was not ideal. I was discharged home 40 pounds lighter from muscle wasting, no ability to walk. Eating and drinking has been challenging as nothing smells or tastes the same. I am struggling to return to my ... Read Full Story

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Cynthia Ellis

Survivor, Survivor, Survivor, Survivor, Survivor

I am 48 years old. I am in excellent shape. I walk 4 miles every day, I’m not overweight. I don’t smoke or drink. This is my story of survival. I had just been released from hospital after a simple (total/both breast removal) mastectomy; as I was suddenly diagnosed with high grade spindle cell sarcoma (a rare cancer, which I can get self contained tumors within soft tissues of my body at any time). (Sepsis and Cancer) All was well for the first 2 days when I suddenly just didn’t feel very well. I felt flushed and exhausted but checked ... Read Full Story

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Faces of Sepsis
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What is Sepsis?
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Military & Veterans

Many of today’s life saving medical and surgical procedures were first discovered or refined by the military.

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Mental Health

Sepsis survivors and family members of people who have had sepsis may find themselves experiencing emotional and psychological challenges that can make it difficult to move forward.

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It’s About Time™

It’s About TIME™ is a national initiative to raise awareness of sepsis and the urgent need to seek treatment when symptoms are recognized.

Early detection is the best hope to survive and limit disabilities when sepsis is present.
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Erin’s Campaign for Kids

IN MEMORY OF ERIN BUG FLATLEY | 1978 – 2002

Erin’s Campaign for Kids aims to combat the high incidence and mortality rates of sepsis among children. The campaign creates awards and training programs for nurses and other health professionals to help identify and treat a disease that, by conservative estimates, causes over 18 child deaths per day or 6,800 child deaths in the United States every year, more than pediatric cancers.

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