Renee Dixon

My mother went to the Rockettes show with me on 11/11. She was healthy, kind, and full of life. At the time, she told me she had a tooth infection and was taking clindamycin. On 11/14, she fainted at home. I took her to the ER and explained that she had a tooth infection, that I was worried she was becoming septic, and that she might need IV antibiotics. They found a pulmonary embolism and focused on treating that as her primary issue.  (Sepsis and Dental Health)

I spoke with multiple nurses and doctors about the tooth infection, but they dismissed my concerns, saying it wasn’t her primary problem. She didn’t receive IV antibiotics until 11/18, when she became gravely ill and her kidneys began to fail. She eventually went into septic shock and passed away on 11/20. Her death certificate lists the cause of death as sepsis and DIC.

I’m experiencing so many emotions. It all happened so suddenly, and I feel like the doctors gaslit me into believing I was wrong to question why she wasn’t being treated for sepsis. I feel guilty that I couldn’t convince them to treat her sooner. I’m devastated by how quickly everything happened. Losing your mom is hard enough on its own, but losing her this way feels impossible to explain. I want her story to be heard so that others learn from this and can potentially recognize the signs of sepsis and get treatment sooner. No one should have to endure this kind of pain and suffering from an illness and death that could have been prevented with better medical care.