Saturday 13th September – Stoke-on-Trent nail technician Lucy Howlett will spend 24 hours painting nails in her garden studio as part of a unique fundraising challenge in aid of the UK Sepsis Trust.
The 28-year-old will welcome 23 clients between 9am on Saturday 13th September (World Sepsis Day) and 9am on Saturday 14th September – staying awake through the night fuelled by pyjamas, takeaways, and plenty of support from friends and family.
Lucy is taking on the challenge in memory of her beloved father, Alan Howlett, who sadly died last year after battling sepsis multiple times. Lucy has already raised over £300, and with raffle prizes donated by local businesses she hopes to raise even more vital funds and awareness during Sepsis Awareness Month.
In the UK, five people lose their lives to sepsis every hour. It is a life-threatening condition which arises when the body’s response to infection harms its own tissues and organs. It affects 245,000 people in the UK annually, claiming 48,000 lives. Sepsis can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and death if not recognised early and treated promptly.
Sepsis always starts with an infection, such as chest infections or UTIs, but it’s unknown why some people develop sepsis in response to these common infections whereas others do not.
Lucy said: “I’ve been wanting to do something amazing to raise money for such a wonderful charity in memory of my amazing dad who I sadly lost last year to sepsis after fighting it three previous times. As September is Sepsis Awareness Month, I am going to be taking part in my first 24-hour Nailathon to raise money and awareness for this deadly condition. My artistic side was passed down from my dad and I know he’ll think this is a completely wild idea, but he did create this little human being and shaped me to be exactly how I am today, and for that, I know he’ll love it.
“My clients have been so supportive and so have the local businesses donating raffle prizes to raise money in his honour and I’m beyond overwhelmed at the response.”
UKST has recently called attention to the many sepsis cases in which outcomes could have been improved or lives could have been saved. It’s more important than ever that members of the public feel empowered to act as advocates when their loved ones are unwell, and that healthcare professionals take them seriously
Sepsis is as common as heart attacks in the UK: nearly 80,000 people each year suffer life-changing after-effects in the UK, with 82% of sepsis survivors experiencing ‘Post-Sepsis Syndrome’ more than a year after hospital discharge, and 18% left permanently unable to work.
The UK Sepsis Trust (UKST), founded in 2012 by NHS consultant Dr Ron Daniels BEM, aims to end preventable deaths and improve outcomes for sepsis survivors, striving to raise public awareness and working to support anyone affected by this devastating condition. UKST educates healthcare professionals; raises public awareness levels and lobbies for political change. The charity’s team of trained Support Nurses help people through sepsis recovery and bereavement. UKST aims to protect people by enabling the prevention of severe infection and the treatment of sepsis, whilst also helping to ensure antibiotics are used responsibly.
Dr Ron Daniels BEM, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: “We are incredibly moved by Lucy’s dedication and commitment. Her efforts in honouring her father’s memory and raising awareness of sepsis are truly inspiring. We extend our heartfelt thanks for her support and acknowledge the incredible challenge she is undertaking. Lucy’s support will allow us to continue our vital work, helping our health service save lives and improve outcomes for the thousands of people affected by this condition every year.”
Legendary footballer and manager Harry Redknapp is fronting the UK Sepsis Trust’s (UKST) new campaign for 2025’s Sepsis Awareness Month, ‘It’s Game On for Sepsis Awareness’. Following his wife’s hospitalisation with sepsis in 2018, Redknapp is calling for better recognition of the condition to ensure swift and effective treatment.
UKST’s campaign launched on September 1st, the first day of Sepsis Awareness Month, and engages sports clubs and communities across the UK with an online game, the Sepsis Savvy Shootout. The game helps players learn about sepsis in a fun and easy way, equipping them with the knowledge they need to recognise sepsis and take life-saving action at the right time. Participants are invited to enter a prize draw to win an exclusive meet and greet with Redknapp.
Sepsis presents very differently in each patient, and can be challenging to identify. There are, however, six key symptoms you can look for, and they spell the word sepsis: S for slurred speech or confusion, E for extreme pain in the muscles or joints, P for passing no urine in a day, S for severe breathlessness and I for “it feels like I’m going to die”. The final S is for skin that’s mottled, discoloured or very pale. If you spot any one of those six signs in the context of infection, you should go straight to A&E. UKST’s Sepsis Savvy resources provide the knowledge required to seek urgent treatment at the right time
The UK Sepsis Trust is calling for:
- A commitment from health ministers on the development and implementation of a ‘sepsis pathway’ – a standardised treatment plan that ensures patients receive the right care from the point at which they present their symptoms to a clinician through to receiving their diagnosis.
- The introduction of consistent public reporting from NHS Trusts on the numbers of sepsis cases and their outcomes.
- The continued improvement of public awareness of the signs and symptoms of sepsis.
