Shaun Henderson

Hi, I would like to share my story of my son Shaun who I lost to sepsis on 12-02-2019. Shaun was in hospital as a patient in late 2017. My son got a infection, then a 2nd one ( pneumonia ) which ended in him having total kidney failure, emergency dialysis where he had a neck line put in for his dialysis. (Sepsis and Pneumonia, Sepsis and Invasive Devices)

We got over the shock of this and Shaun went 3 days a week for dialysis. Around Feb 2018 Shaun went in to the same hospital to have the neck line removed, as he was starting to have dialysis through his arm. Stitches should have been removed after 7-10 days. This never happened. We did say many times to doctors about this but they took no notice to us.

My son started getting really ill, many times in and out of hospital, but always sent home saying he didn’t have any infection. My son had mini strokes, couldn’t stand and still no help for Shaun. In May 2018 Shaun ended up on life support, in ICU with sepsis ( through the infection in neck line, then went to his heart ), resulting in Shaun having brain damage, organ failure, limbs all went which meant he would never walk, use his hands again.

I did get my son home in July 2018. Shaun couldn’t do anything himself anymore. I myself cared for Shaun 24 hours a day in hospital and at home as we were offered no help whatsoever, left to get on with it. Jan 2019 Shaun was back in the same hospital. I went into see Shaun and doctors told us he had to have a operation that night as his bowel part of it was dead. Shaun and myself never wanted any operation as I know he would never come out of theatre alive, but they took him anyway. We signed nothing at all. Later that night doctors told us everything had went well, come back in the morning as we did, only to be told by a nurse ( not the doctor ) that Shaun was brain dead.

Next day, nurse again told us to bring all family in as they were doing 2nd test then turning life support off. We did the next morning only for his dad to come in tell me Shaun was asking for me his mam ( my son wasn’t brain dead he was alive ). 2 weeks later still couldn’t speak to a doctor as all doctors were busy or went home? No docs on ICU. 9th Feb 2019 we demanded to see a doctor to try in find out what had went wrong. Yes we got to see a doctor but still no answers, instead we got told they were putting Shaun on end of life care, I took my son home at 6 pm on 11-02-2019 and at 2am on the 12-02-2019 I lost my son, The whole point of my story is to let people know yes, sepsis can be treated if caught early . My son would still be alive today if only doctors hadn’t ignored us, but treating the infection at the start. I thank you so much for reading my story. Tracy

Source: Tracy Henderson, mother of Shaun