Sepsis Survivor Week

Share your story, help others survive.

As many as 60% of sepsis survivors are left not only with physical challenges but mental and emotional challenges too.

During Sepsis Survivor Week we partner with sepsis survivors to honor their experience by sharing their individual stories of survival and bringing awareness to the unseen mental, emotional, and physical challenges many survivors face every day.

Sepsis Survivor Week is an annual observance that takes place the 2nd week of February. In 2026, it will be observed from February 8th to February 14th.

We prepared these shareable resources to help you honor sepsis survivors and spread awareness of the challenges they face. Will you join us?

Click here for three easy ways to start spreading awareness this Sepsis Survivor Week.

Are you a healthcare professional looking for courses around sepsis survivorship? Find courses and discussions in Sepsis Alliance Institute. Click here.

You can also make a gift to support Sepsis Alliance resources by clicking here.

To learn more about sepsis survivorship and find resources for sepsis survivors, click here.

 

Infographics to Share

Spread the word – #SepsisSurvivor

Click here to access downloadable infographics, like the ones below, to share with your social media community. Remember to hashtag #SepsisSurvivor and tag @SepsisAlliance.

       

       

**Please see below for usage regulations

15 Years of Sepsis Awareness Month

This February, as we honor Sepsis Survivor Week, we also celebrate 15 years of Sepsis Awareness Month, reflecting on how far we’ve come, looking ahead to what’s next, and recommitting to our mission to raise sepsis awareness and save lives. Click here to see how you can help this February. #15YearsOfSAM

Sepsis Alliance Connect

Sepsis Alliance Connect is a virtual support community designed for the millions of people affected by sepsis. Each year, an estimated 1.4 million people survive sepsis and over 350,000 adults die from sepsis in the United States alone. Sepsis Alliance Connect is a place for these survivors, caregivers, loved ones, and those left behind after a sepsis death to come together and share resources, insight, and encouragement about their sepsis experience and life after sepsis. Learn more and join by clicking here.

Download the Sepsis Survivor Week Poster

Thank you to everyone who provided photos for our Sepsis Survivor Week poster in 2021!

Click below to download, print, and share, to honor our Sepsis Survivors and their journey!

 

Download the poster – 11″ x 17″ – click here

 

**Please see below for usage regulations

Life After Sepsis Videos

 

Interested in more videos featuring sepsis survivors? Check out Sepsis Alliance’s YouTube channel by clicking here.

Caregiver Information

When your loved one becomes ill with sepsis, it can be a scary time – one that most people aren’t prepared for. You may not know what sepsis is or how to help your loved one.

Download our guide, When a Loved One Has Sepsis: A Caregiver’s Guide, for more information about navigating this difficult time.

To download the guide, click here

 

 

 

 

Read Survivor Stories

Julia W.

Survivor

In July 2023, I wasn’t feeling well, but it was up and down. I had a fever for a day, then I didn’t again for another week. I thought I had the flu and dismissed it as that. All of a sudden the fever returned a week later, and I could barely walk my dogs. That’s when I went to the ER with 134 bpm resting heart rate and <25,000 WBC. I was admitted to the hospital within an hour with a suspected diagnosis of urosepsis, which was later confirmed along with pyelonephritis and bacteremia. All hospital beds were full ... Read Full Story

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Melissa Shaw-Hill

Survivor, Survivor

In 2019 I was bitten on my chest by a mosquito. Within an hour, that bite had taken over most of my left breast. By hour 2, I had a climbing fever and felt nauseous. 6 hours later, my husband was told I had flesh eating  disease and was in septic shock. (Sepsis and Necrotizing Fasciitis) I had emergency surgery and was fighting to live before midnight. I spent 7 days in ICU, intubated with a large open wound on my chest. Doctors and nurses were surprised I was alive, But I had 2 young kids and a husband to ... Read Full Story

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Nicole Ireland

Survivor, Survivor, Survivor

Two weeks after giving birth to a beautiful baby girl I ended up in the ER with severe septic shock. (Sepsis and Pregnancy & Childbirth) There were hours the doctors were unsure what was wrong with me and told my husband to prepare for the worst and asked if I would want lifesaving measures taken. I spent 10 days in the hospital, some of that time spent in the ICU after emergency surgery. There was nothing worse than having to be fighting for my life away from my sweet newborn baby girl. Even years later I deal with the reality ... Read Full Story

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Shama Dunlow

Survivor, Survivor, Survivor, Survivor

As a 19-year-old, I never thought I’d get sepsis. I initially thought it was bad asthma since the it started getting colder and with college and work, I thought maybe I was pushing myself too hard. It was Thanksgiving break and I was at work when I first started feeling out of breath. It felt like asthma, I didn’t feel sick. It wasn’t until 4 days later that I started to get a fever and my lungs felt like they were being weighed down. I couldn’t eat and I started to throw up throughout the night. It was the night ... Read Full Story

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Paul Hoium

Survivor, Survivor, Survivor, Survivor, Survivor

On December 10 2023, I started feeling a little short of breath and very tired and weak. Since I also have congestive heart failure, I was monitoring these symptoms closely. Things worsened over the next couple of days until the 12th on which date I realized I could barely breathe and so weak I could barely make it to the phone to call for an ambulance. I remember the firefighters lifting me on to a gurney and into the ambulance and them talking about my O2 level being 79 and that would prove to be the last coherent memory I ... Read Full Story

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Usage Regulations

**This site and all resources presented and linked within it are the sole property of Sepsis Alliance. This site and the resources presented are meant to be shared and used for educational and awareness-raising purposes only. The site and resources presented and linked within cannot be reproduced and sold for monetary value. When used for educational and awareness-raising purposes, the materials must be used as follows:

  • The materials must be used in their original, unaltered state, which includes not cropping, adding alternate logos, websites, or additional graphics, etc.
  • The Sepsis Alliance logo and any other logo on the material must be clearly visible
  • The trademark(s) (™)must be clearly visible
  • The copyright must be clearly visible
  • Do not add any logo to the materials, unless you have been given prior approval from Sepsis Alliance
  • The Sepsis: It’s About TIME™ logo cannot be reproduced and used without the approval of Sepsis Alliance

If you are interested in co-branding any of the materials presented or linked, please contact Alex Colvin at acolvin@sepsis.org for pricing information.