In the second part of her sepsis story, updated for 2023, Kim recalled the challenges she faced on returning home. In this third and final installment, Kim recalls how – nearly a year on from contracting sepsis in Spain – an exciting new opportunity gave her renewed drive to recover. She explains more here.

Having returned home and struggled with depression for a while, after two and a half years, I applied for a double hand transplant. This really changed my outlook. It made me realise that I needed to get my weight off and get healthy again. It took two years but I managed it. I’m a very determined person when I put my mind to something. I feel incredibly well now and I’ve been accepted for the waiting list for a double hand transplant. I’ve been on the list for just over a year now, waiting for a match.

Hand transplants are extremely rare but potentially life-changing for people who receive them; only eight have been performed in the UK. This will massively improve my life and my independence.

Despite all the trauma and the effects on my day-to-day life over the past five years, I’ve always got a smile on my face. I’m alive, I have an amazing, supportive family…why wouldn’t I smile? My recovery from sepsis has been long but I am no longer receiving treatment for anything. Life now is brilliant, nothing stops me. I’ve done a parachute jump, rock-climbing, abseiling…life is great.

My mission in life is to warn everyone about sepsis. I’m lucky – I survived it. I know so many haven’t. I use social media every day to raise awareness of the condition – I do videos, talks, magazine stories and even TV, which has often gone global.

I want everyone to be better educated about sepsis so they can seek urgent medical attention. Anything that can cause an infection – from something as small as a paper cut to a urine infection or flu – can lead to sepsis if there’s a reaction which makes the immune system go into overdrive. Please remember the symptoms or if you have an infection. Google the symptoms of sepsis because it needs URGENT medical treatment. If you’re unsure, just ask “Could It Be Sepsis?” 

Research is vital. Hopefully in the future researchers will find a test to diagnose sepsis straight away, or maybe discover why our immune systems react like this and then find a way to stop it. Research is essential and Sepsis Research FEAT are doing incredible work which is why I’m always happy to help them.