A woman from Berkshire has issued a stark warning about sepsis after a seemingly minor illness led to the amputation of both her legs. Beth Budgen, 46, from Newbury, initially thought she had a cold when she woke up feeling unwell on Christmas Eve. However, her condition rapidly deteriorated, with agonising pain and vomiting of blue liquid, prompting an emergency dash to A&E in Basingstoke.
Doctors soon discovered that Ms Budgen had contracted strep A, flu and pneumonia, triggering sepsis. Within hours of arriving at hospital, her family was told to prepare for the worst as she was placed in an induced coma for six weeks. 'By Boxing Day I had a complete organ failure,' she told BBC Radio 5 Live. The infection caused her feet to turn black, and she ultimately required amputation of both legs and parts of her hands at Southampton General Hospital.
After spending seven months in hospital, Ms Budgen has returned home, facing significant challenges in adapting to her new life. She described a 'meltdown' when she realised she had left her medication downstairs after a strenuous 30-minute trip up the stairs. Despite the ordeal, she remains determined to use prosthetic legs as much as possible, though she admits the process is exhausting.
Ms Budgen's family has launched a fundraising campaign to cover home adaptations and a bespoke pair of prosthetic legs. She hopes her story will raise awareness of sepsis symptoms, urging others to educate themselves. 'If this happened to me it can happen to anyone that you love,' she warned.
