THE HEARTBROKEN parents of a student who died in hospital from sepsis said her “screams of pain” weren’t listened to.
Young rugby star Maddy Lawrence, 20, dislocated her hip when she was tackled while playing for the University of the West of England (UWE) women’s second team against the University of Bristol.
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She passed away of multiple organ failure in March 2022, just two weeks after being taken to hospital in Bristol.
Maddy developed a bacterial infection while in intensive care, which caused sepsis – when your immune systems overreacts to an infection and causes damage to tissues and organs that can be life-threatening.
An inquest into her death in September last year found that gross failures in her treatment and neglect had contributed to her death, after staff didn’t record observations about her for 16 hours.
The inquest heard Maddy might have survived if staff had spotted and treated the sepsis sooner.
Her parents appeared on Sky’s The UK Tonight to share the highlight the “agony” Maddy went through during her last days.
Her mum Karen Lawrence said: “She wasn’t listened to in screams of pain, she was considered to be a difficult patient.
“She must have been in absolute agony and the fact that no observations were taken over the course of 16 hours, it just begs belief.
“That was her dying actually – not being difficult, but sepsis setting in.”
Karen added that she regretted not making not making “more of a fuss” to the staff as her daughter’s condition deteriorated.
She said: “You put your faith and trust in the medical profession. We didn’t make a fuss because they must know what they are doing.
“Had we [done so], she would have still been with us. She should have been home by the weekend.”
Maddy parents both professed their support for the NHS roll-out of Martha’s rule across England in April.
What are the symptoms of sepsis?
SEPSIS is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that happens when your immune system overreacts and starts to damage your body’s own tissues and organs.
Symptoms of sepsis in an adult include:
- Acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- Difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
Symptoms in a child include:
- Blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- A rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- Difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their ribcage), breathlessness or breathing very fast
- A weak, high-pitched cry that’s not like their normal cry
- Not responding like they normally do, or not interested in feeding or normal activities
- Being sleepier than normal or having difficulty waking
They may not have all these symptoms.
If you think you or someone else has symptoms of sepsis, call 999 or go to A&E.
Source: NHS
The new law will give patients and their families the right to a rapid second opinion if they are worried about their or a loved one’s condition getting worse or not receiving the care they need.
The rule is named after Martha Mills, 13, who died from sepsis in 2021 after a failure to boost her to intensive care despite her parents raising concerns.
Maddy’s dad, Simon Lawrence, urged people to also be aware of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS), which determines the degree of illness of a patient and whether critical care intervention is needed.
The scoring system is based on certain physiological measurements, such as breathing rate, oxygen levels and blood pressure, which begin to vary as we become ill.
The score can be used to identify acute deterioration, including sepsis.
‘Twinkle toes’
Karen and Simon said they “bear a weight the whole time” following Maddy’s death.
Nicknamed ‘twinkle toes’, they said Maddy had gained the endearing name due to her speed as a winger.
Mrs Lawrence said: “She was very fast and when she found rugby she found her speed to a huge advantage.
“She was loud, energetic and bold.”
Tributes poured in for the student in March 2022, with UWE Women’s Rugby calling Maddy “a bubbly girl who was so fun to be around”.
“Whenever she smiled and laughed you couldn’t help but smile and laugh with her.”
The parents have launched Maddy’s March, a fundraising campaign for the whole month, which they hope will become an annual event.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
People taking part are being asked to do something around the number 104 – the number of weeks since Maddy died.
Karen said participants are running, walking, and swimming 104 km, and one person has baked 104 cakes.
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