Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has disclosed that she suffered a life-threatening case of sepsis while undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The 33-year-old dancer described the experience as a 'scary ordeal' and credited the NHS staff for saving her life.
Dowden, who also has Crohn's disease, fell ill just two days after a chemotherapy session on 3 August. She had been feeling well enough to go for a walk with her parents, but upon returning home, her condition deteriorated rapidly. Her parents called an ambulance after she collapsed on the sofa.
She was rushed to hospital and admitted to intensive care with a high temperature, where doctors diagnosed sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that can be particularly dangerous for those with suppressed immune systems, such as cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Dowden told Hello! magazine: 'The doctors and nurses were telling me I had sepsis and that it was life-threatening.' She initially thought her symptoms were a reaction to chemotherapy, but tests revealed an infection. 'On chemo, you don't have your white blood cells to fight infection,' she explained.
She has since met the ambulance crew who treated her, thanking them personally. Her father, Richard, praised the paramedics, saying: 'They're a credit to the service.' Dowden expressed gratitude for the NHS, stating: 'We are so lucky to have every single individual and department in the NHS.'
