AN ASIAN woman from the West Midlands has returned home from hospital after recovering from sepsis and now plans to raise awareness about the dangers of the condition.
Manjit Sangha, 56, had all her limbs amputated after contracting sepsis in July last year. Doctors believe it may have been caused by something such as a lick from her pet dog on a small cut or scratch.
Ahead of her discharge from a hospital in Birmingham on Wednesday, a Go Fund Me page set up to support her and her husband, Kamaljit Sangha, has raised over 30,000 pounds to help them rebuild their lives.
“Losing your limbs and your hands in a short period of time is a very big thing. It's very serious and not to be taken lightly,” Manjit told the BBC. She now wants to warn others about sepsis, saying, “it could happen to anybody.”
The former pharmacy worker returned home from work one evening last July feeling unwell and was unconscious by the next morning. Her hands and feet were cold, her lips had turned purple, and she was struggling to breathe.
While in intensive care, her heart stopped six times. Surgeons amputated both of her legs below the knee and both of her hands due to the spread of the condition.
She was placed into an induced coma and put on life support and dialysis after doctors diagnosed septic shock, complicated by Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC), a condition that causes abnormal blood clotting throughout the body. Doctors said her chances of survival were slim.
“She's the strongest person I know. Every time I thought I'd lost her, she came back fighting. Now it's our turn to fight for her,” her 60-year-old husband said.
The distribution worker has been off work for seven months to support his wife. Friends and family launched the online fundraiser and awareness campaign to help the couple.
The funds will go towards prosthetics to help restore her mobility and independence, home adaptations to make the house accessible, and physiotherapy, mental health support, and rehabilitation.
“Any funds not directly used for Manjit's care will be donated to Positive Bones, a charity that empowers amputees and people with limb disabilities to live life without limits,” the Go Fund Me page states.
Sepsis is a medical condition that occurs when the body’s immune system, which fights infection, starts attacking its own tissues and organs.
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), symptoms can be hard to identify and may include slurred speech, extreme shivering or muscle pain, severe breathlessness, and skin that is mottled or discoloured.
(With inputs from agencies)
