A MUM who lost all four limbs due to sepsis after she suffered a small cut in her gum can hug her grandchildren again due to ‘bionic arms’.
Sue Neill had multiple health issues following the horrible condition.
4
4
4
The 52-year-old is marking World Sepsis Day today by speaking out about sepsis which robbed her of her nose, lips and tongue, and meant she needed all four limbs amputated.
The condition is fatal for around 48,000 people in the UK each year, and it kills 11 million worldwide.
Sue lives with Dean, a former lorry driver husband, at 54. She has Connor, a daughter, Kaylee, nine years old, and Chris, 35. Chris and Stacey, 32. Chloe, 22., have a daughter each. Sue said that she couldn’t look in the mirror after her ordeal.
In January 2017, a tiny nick was made to her gum by a Chichester mum-of-5.
An abscess developed within days. Her face then began to swell and she was unable see or hear.
After two rounds of antibiotics and painkillers, she seemed to be able to recover. Dean found her lying on the couch with her face turning blue on February 25, 2019.
“He thought I was already gone,” Sue said.
Rushed to St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, Sue’s family were repeatedly told she was unlikely to survive and her limbs were amputated.
Sue survived, but she was given the task of learning to live with her new body. She spent over a year in rehabilitation.
Sue said: “At first, I couldn’t talk and for over a year, I couldn’t even look at myself in a mirror.
“I hate the word stumps. These are my arms and legs. So be it if I haven’t got much of them. I’m lucky to be alive, but I’m still me.”
Sue said she was unhappy with the heavy prosthetics she was given and pinned her hopes on high-tech bionic ‘Hero Arms’ developed by Bristol-based Open Bionics.
They respond to the wearer’s muscle movements using sensors but are not available on the NHS.
Sue was fitted with a prosthetic arm for her right arm in July.
What is Sepsis? And what are the signs to watch out for?
Sepsis is often triggered by another illness. Many people who develop sepsis have been infected.
These infections can range from pneumonia to an abdominal infection to a wound.
Sepsis symptoms in children and adults differ.
Sepsis signs in adults:
S– slurred speech or confusion
E– extreme shivering or muscle pain
P– passing no urine in a day
S– severe breathlessness
I– it feel like you’re going to die
S– skin mottled or discoloured
Sepsis signs in kids:
- If your child is breathing fast – with no reason to, such as they haven’t been running around
- Has a ‘fit’ or convulsion
- Looked mottled, bluish or pale
- Has a rash that does not fade when you press it
- Is lethargic or difficult to wake
- Feels cold to touch
Her cousin Carmen Lewis, 56, a pharmaceutical wholesaler, and her husband Gary, donated enough to pay for the arms, alongside her GoFundMe and some charity donations.
Sue was overwhelmed by gratitude after her fittings. Her new right arm was ready for her to fit on.
She hopes to have her second life-changing arm fitted later this year and said: “Cuddling the kids again was amazing. I’ve had a lot of pictures taken cuddling them on my knee. My little grandkids love my arm and they keep saying, ‘That’s so cool’.
“It’s wonderful just be able to hug them again. The kids love it – and I love it. I can’t believe it.
“The kids keep making me shake hands with them too!”
Sue is now able to use the device for up to two hours per day, after initially being able only 10 minutes.
‘LONG WAY TO GO’
She said: “It’s not heavy, but it’s a lot heavier than my shortened arm was. I need patience and to increase my upper body strength. It’s a big learning curve.
“I’ve got a long way to go, but it’s good to see improvements as the days go on and I hope I can wear it all day long. I have no idea when that will be – but I’m hoping it could be as soon as next month.
“I’m eagerly awaiting the second arm. That will be fitted once I’ve got used to the first one – I can’t wait!”
Sue can now do more independently. She says that she is able to brush her hair and take small items off the table.
She said: ““I’m sure I’ll look back on this in a year’s time and think, ‘Remember when I couldn’t do anything?”
She also said she is looking forward to wearing the new arm out and about as she sasy they look ‘more interesting’ than other prosthetics.
THE BEST THEY CAN GET
“It’s not pretending to be a real arm, so I think it looks really cool, robotic and colourful.
“I’m planning to wear it out next week when I go to the shops or out in the village – and I hope people ask me about it!”She agreed.
Sue was incredibly fortunate to have been able to raise enough money to purchase her arms. She is now determined to raise awareness about the risks of sepsis, and to highlight the need to provide better prosthetics on the NHS for amputee patients.
She said: “I am very passionate about them being available on the NHS.
“None of us asked to lose our limbs. This happened because of accidents, illness, or unfortunate births.
“Our government needs to relook at this within the NHS – it’s about giving its citizens the best they can when something horrible happens to them.”
4
We pay for your stories!
Have a story to submit for the Central Recorder news desk
She is so lucky to be alive. My husband contracted a sepsis infection in his leg and died the following day. He was only 55 years old! I was so heartbroken.