Cat Deeley fights back tears on This Morning during inspiring interview with William, eight, about his battle with sepsis
Cat Deeley gave an emotional interview on This Morning on Thursday with a young family struck by sepsis.
The ITV star fought back tears as she and Ben Shephard spoke to eight-year-old William Reckless, who had both his legs amputated after battling sepsis in 2020 at the age of three.
As Cat, mother of two boys, spoke to William’s mum Gemma about the terrifying moment the doctor told the family about the diagnosis, the presenter tried to keep herself under control.
Gemma explained: ‘The doctors asked me, “Do you understand what’s happening?” and I said, “He has meningitis, doesn’t he?” And they said, ‘No, he has sepsis,’ and I just had no idea what that was.”
Cat Deeley had an emotional interview with a young family affected by sepsis on This Morning on Thursday
The ITV star fought back tears as she and Ben Shepherd spoke to eight-year-old William, who had both his legs amputated after a battle with blood poisoning in 2020 at the age of three
‘I remember thinking, ‘Someone’s going to wake me up, it’s not going to happen.’ We were home two hours ago.’
William, who appeared on the ITV show alongside Gemma, his father Michael and sister Georgia, became serious after developing blood poisoning while suffering from scarlet fever.
He almost died when his heart stopped and had to stay in intensive care for three months due to complications. His lower legs and parts of his fingers had to be amputated.
However, his family said the little boy never stopped smiling throughout the months he was in physio.
Gemma said that when he was told he would lose his legs, he seemed to accept everything and even woke up from the amputation with a smile on his face.
He soon told doctors and nurses that his left leg had been eaten by a crocodile and the right leg had been taken by a shark.
In March, William walked further than ever before to raise money for charity. He walked two miles with his prosthetic legs and cycled another two miles on a hand cycle for Nottingham Hospitals Charity.
William, from Huthwaite in Nottinghamshire, raised £5,600.
As Cat spoke to his mother Gemma about the terrifying moment the doctor told the family about William’s diagnosis, the presenter tried her best to calm down.
Gemma explained: ‘The doctors asked me, “Do you understand what’s happening?” and I said, “He’s got meningitis, hasn’t he?” And they said, “No, he has sepsis”
Cat looked emotional as Gemma recalled: ‘I remember thinking, ‘Someone’s going to wake me up, it’s not happening.’ We were home two hours ago.”
SIX MAJOR SIGNS OF SEPSIS
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused when the body releases chemicals to fight an infection.
These chemicals damage the body’s own tissues and organs and can lead to shock, organ failure and death.
If sepsis is not recognized and treated in time, the risk of organ failure and death increases.
Sepsis infects an estimated 55,000 Australians each year, killing between 5,000 and 9,000, making it more than four times deadlier than the toll.
The symptoms may resemble a stomach or flu and can quickly become fatal.
The six main signs of something potentially fatal can be identified by the acronym ‘SEPSIS’:
- Slurred speech or confusion, lethargy, disorientation
- Extreme chills or muscle pain, fever or low temperature
- Pressing the rash will not make it fade
- Severe shortness of breath, rapid breathing
- Inability to urinate for several hours
- Skin that is mottled or discolored
Children may also present with convulsions or convulsions, and a rash that does not go away when you press on it – and more than 40 percent of cases occur in children under the age of five.
Anyone who develops these symptoms should seek urgent medical attention – and ask doctors, ‘Could this be sepsis?’
Sepsis is a leading cause of preventable deaths, killing around 10,000 Australians every year
The early symptoms of sepsis can easily be confused with milder conditions, making the diagnosis difficult to make.
A high temperature (fever), chills and chills, a fast heart rate and rapid breathing are also indicators.
A patient can deteriorate rapidly if sepsis is missed early, so prompt diagnosis and treatment are critical – but this rarely happens.
In the early stages, sepsis can be confused with a chest infection, flu, or stomach complaints.
It is most common and dangerous in older adults, pregnant women, children under one year of age, people with chronic conditions, or those with weakened immune systems.