A devastated mum has opened up about the tragic loss of her daughter who died from a fatal condition just 10 days after enjoying cocktails on a Bank Holiday weekend.
Rachel Day, 29, was a vibrant young woman known for her humour and infectious personality, described by her parents as a “truly unique character”. The former Welsh judo champion and experienced lifeguard at Llanishen Leisure Centre in Cardiff had plans to start her own dog creche business.
However, in a heartbreaking twist of fate, Rachel was diagnosed with sepsis – a life-threatening reaction to an infection – which quickly took over her body. Tragically, Rachel passed away just 10 days after her diagnosis.
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Her mother Bernie Day remembered Rachel’s cheeky sense of humour and how she attracted everyone around her. She said: “She was fit, healthy and had a very clear idea about what she wanted to do with her life, but sadly those dreams were never fulfilled.”
Six years after Rachel’s sudden death, her parents are raising awareness about the warning signs of sepsis, reports WalesOnline.
In May 2017, Bernie recalled how Rachel enjoyed watching the sunset and sipping cocktails in Cardiff Bay during a Bank Holiday weekend. However, on Monday, Rachel began to feel breathless and started vomiting, describing it as “feeling like she was dying”.
She was quickly taken to the University Hospital of Wales’s (UHW) emergency department around 4am. Despite returning home a few hours later, Rachel’s condition rapidly deteriorated. Bernie said: “I had tried texting her as we were meant to meet for a coffee, but I didn’t get a response which was very unusual. Eventually, I tried calling her and she barely had the strength to reach over and tap her phone to answer me.
“She was screaming uncontrollably down the phone in pain. Those screams will haunt me for the rest of my life. I left the coffee shop, kept her on speakerphone and rushed straight to her flat.
“Her body was swollen, her skin was mottled and her lips were blue. She kept crying ‘Mum, you’ve got to help me’. We later discovered that her lactic acid was eight times the normal level, causing the unbearable pain in her legs.”
Bernie dialled for an ambulance which took Rachel back to UHW’s resuscitation unit. However, doctors soon realised the severity of Rachel’s condition and put her into an induced coma to allow her body to recover.
Rachel’s grieving dad, Steve, recalled the heart-wrenching moment, saying: “We were able to speak to Rachel before she was sedated and tell her that we’d be by her bedside the whole time. We were then taken into a side room by a consultant who told us that she probably wouldn’t survive the night. I couldn’t take it in because I was in such shock.”
Tragically, during her intense care, Rachel’s condition took a downward spiral. Her dad Steve added: “She began not to look like Rachel,” describing the horrific changes sepsis inflicted on her body.
“Her nose had turned black and she had drips everywhere. She even had blood trickling from her eyes, nose and ears. Sepsis was affecting almost every part of her body,” he said.
Consultants delivered the grim prognosis on June 5 that amputation of Rachel’s right arm and legs was necessary and subsequent examinations revealed the devastating extent of the damage; her left arm and vital organs were beyond saving.
Tragedy struck on June 7 when Rachel, only 29 years young, passed away.
Bernie shared the emotional moment they faced the inevitable, revealing: “At that point she knew it was her time to go. She had to agree to turn off her life support which was heartbreaking. We all managed to say our goodbyes to her, and we vowed to never let her down and make sure the whole world knew the word ‘sepsis’.”
The NHS explains that sepsis is a condition where the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection, causing damage to its own tissues and organs. It’s not contagious. The UK Sepsis Trust estimates that around 48,000 people die annually from sepsis-related illnesses.
After Rachel’s tragic passing, her family funded the Sepsis Six Pathway, which is now used across the NHS to identify early interventions and appropriate antibiotic treatment for patients. Bernie said: “When I had breast cancer, I got screened. But when Rachel went to AandE that night, there was no screening process for sepsis. I believe that could have saved her life. We vowed to change that not just for AandE, but for all wards.”
The charity Rachel’s Day has raised an estimated £60,000 for sepsis awareness through various events. Bernie herself has completed six half marathons since Rachel’s death and has spoken publicly about her experiences.
Dr Paul Morgan, the sepsis lead at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, who has worked closely with the Day family to raise sepsis awareness, added: “Sepsis kills more people each year in the UK than the combined total of deaths from breast, bowel and prostate cancers.
“While many of these deaths occur in those already at or approaching end of life, there are many others such as Rachel Day who are tragically struck down in the prime of life. Of those who survive, many are left with life-changing physical and psychological problems, such as former Member of Parliament, Craig McKinley.
“Cardiff and Vale UHB is in the process of updating its sepsis screening and treatment processes to reflect recent changes in national guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC). Teaching on sepsis is being updated to incorporate these changes.
“It is also anticipated that advances in healthcare technology being rolled out in the coming months and years will greatly assist with this. Cardiff and Vale UHB is committed to ensuring that we deliver the highest quality of care possible, investigating when this has not happened and taking steps to avoid making any such errors in the future.”
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