Ask the question ‘could it be sepsis?’

Sepsis Awareness Month will go unnoticed by many, but those who have experienced the life-threatening condition are taking the opportunity to encourage people to ask the question; ‘could it be sepsis?’

From enjoying Carrickmacross Street Festival over the June Bank Holiday weekend to fighting for her life the following week, Sinead Carragher is now in recovery after experiencing septic shock.

The 37-year-old wanted to share her story to make others aware of sepsis, its symptoms, and how important it is to act quickly.

Around one month after having keyhole surgery, Sinead started feeling like “there’s something wrong”.

It started by feeling like a burning sensation over her entire body, while she also felt clammy and weak.

The following day she felt “okay” however on Monday evening while visiting her friend her throat became sore and she started to feel weak. She left and drove five minutes to her mum’s house.

“I felt like I was having a stroke,” she recalled. “When I got to the house, I crawled in the door and everything started shaking from head to toe.”

Her mum, who is a retired nurse, called an ambulance, and the A&E staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda were “very quick” to act when she arrived.

After this, Sinead doesn’t remember much other than experiencing hallucinations. Her blood pressure was extremely low and her lungs were not working correctly; her body was experiencing septic shock.

“My liver, my kidneys, everything was reading crazy,” she notes.

Sinead was “oblivious” to what was happening around her, however staff told her parents she was “the sickest person in the hospital”.

Eight days later, Sinead “woke up” and found out she had experienced septic shock.

“I didn’t know I had sepsis until it was nearly too late. I know I’m very lucky to be alive.”

The family were told Sinead had a four-hour window of survival.

“So if I had went to bed, I wouldn’t have woke up.”

Now in recovery after three weeks in hospital, Sinead still finds it hard to believe that before June 8 she was “fit as a fiddle” - attending the gym and swimming weekly, walking the dog daily and going for hikes regularly.

“I never thought it would happen to me, never in a million years.”

The Corduff woman is keen to make people aware that sepsis “can come on anybody’s doorstep”.

While grateful to have been discharged from hospital, Sinead now has “good days and bad days”.

The condition has affected her both mentally and physically, while she said she has lost 40% of her hair since. Throughout her ordeal, she lost 12kg of muscle, and said she is now dealing with “complete fatigue” and “brain fog”, while daily tasks such as climbing the stairs are difficult.

“A little five-minute walk would knock me out,” Sinead reports.

She is attending physio and is also back in the pool, and bit by bit, tasks are becoming easier.

“This is not something I planned. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” she said.

She called for more advice for people post-sepsis, and said one of the hardest things is not knowing what after-effect to expect next.

“I’m discovering as I go along” she said.

“Post sepsis, I 100% think there could be more information on what to expect. It would be nice if there was a bit more awareness,” she said.

Sinead is “happy to be alive” and encouraged others to raise the possibility of sepsis.

“’Could it be sepsis?’ is really something that everyone needs to be asking their medical professionals,” Sinead emphasises. “It really can happen to anybody, don’t take any chances.”

Sinead attended a talk in Latton held by Cathriona Flanagan and Hannah Tormey who founded the North East Sepsis Awareness (NESA) group, which she said helped her recovery as she got to speak to others who are going through similar experiences.

Meanwhile, The Action on Sepsis: Five-Year Strategy (2026–2030) was launched on Monday. The plan was initially due for publication in 2024, and the NESA group have been campaigning for its publication.

The strategy sets out a plan to improve sepsis prevention, early recognition, treatment and support for sepsis survivors across adult, maternity, paediatric and community services. NESA will also be at the Ploughing Championships today where those attending can drop by and chat to Hannah and Cathriona.