‘On the road weekly’ spreading sepsis awareness

The North East Sepsis Awareness (NESA) group was set up last year by a group of people whose family members have been affected by the condition.

There are few communities the NESA team has not visited to warn people of the signs and symptoms of sepsis.

Sepsis is not an infection; it is an inflammatory reaction to an infection that is already in the body. Sepsis can be fatal, which some group members know all too well, which is why they have dedicated themselves to informing others.

The women have gone above and beyond to get the message out there and have made several representations in Dáil Éireann and at local level for more awareness on sepsis. They are calling for an entire reform on how the Irish healthcare system deals with the potentially fatal illness, something for which they continue to campaign.

NESA is extremely active on social media too, using patient stories, infographics and most recently a video by Cavan footballers to spread the word. Meanwhile, they have also created coffee cups, flyers and wallet cards with signs and symptoms of sepsis. With the help of singer Klara, they have created a song entitled 'Don't Wait' to spread the message further.Through their community meetings, they also provide support for those who have sepsis by sharing their own stories and listening to others. NESA have visited schools, GAA clubs, community groups, workplaces and more, and are on the road for such meetings up to three times per week, while they continue to take bookings for more. Their work is widely recognised; evident in the numerous nominations they received for these awards.

"We are on the road weekly doing voluntary talks," NESA member Hannah Tormey said. She also emphasised that "everyone can get sepsis" at any age, and encouraged people to familiarise themselves with the signs and symptoms of the condition. While they are a voluntary organisation, the group relies on donations from the public to print flyers and information cards.

Their campaign began after they participated in the Bailieborough St Patrick's Day parade last year. They began as The Sepsis Warriors in March 2025 with three women Hannah Tormey, Cathriona Flanagan and Sinead O'Reilly, and later established NESA which is spearheaded by Hannah and Cathriona with help from Johanne Stafford, Dylan Byrd and Klara Carolan. The group are visiting Dáil Éireann today as part of their campaign.

Speaking on making the finals of the Community and Sports Awards, Hannah said they are "absolutely honoured" and "overwhelmed".