Jason Watkins admits that he ‘still blames himself’ over daughter Maude’s death from Sepsis
Jason Watkins has admitted that he still “blames himself” for the death of his daughter Maude from sepsis.
The 60-year-old actor and his wife Clara Francis sadly lost their daughter in 2011 after she developed a respiratory infection and later sepsis. She was two years old.
Jason found Maude, suffering from the flu, dead in her bed on New Year’s Day morning. Despite two visits to the hospital, her flu symptoms masked sepsis and she went undiagnosed.
And speaking on Good Morning Britain on Thursday ahead of his documentary Jason & Clara: In Memory of Maudie, Jason said he still feels somewhat responsible, as he was the one who brought Maude home from hospital for the second time.
While Clara expressed regret that the couple had been “so accepting” of the doctor’s initial diagnosis of croup, she wished they had been more “picky” about Maude staying in hospital at the time.
Guilt: Jason Watkins has admitted he still ‘blames himself’ for his daughter Maude’s death from sepsis
Very sad: The actor, 60, and his wife Clara Francis sadly lost their daughter in 2011 after she developed a respiratory infection and later sepsis. she was two years old
Joining Susanna Reid and Adil Ray on the ITV show, the grieving couple opened up about their daughter’s passing and admitted her death could have been prevented, while Clara admitted she had never heard of sepsis before her daughter contracted her
Asked if they had any advice for parents who suspect their own child has the condition, Jason shared: “It’s hard for us as parents, that’s one of the painful things, ‘Did we do everything we could?’
“It’s easy to blame yourself and I still do because I was there when she was released the second time.”
Clara then added: “We always will because it’s that instinct thing, ‘if I had been more… demanding and attached to my instinct, she would be seriously ill and not accept it as much.’
During the talk, Susanna said: ‘Any parent, anyone will feel that viscerally, that attempt not to lose their daughter.
“I guess what’s so tragic about this is that the signs of sepsis need to be detected, but they’re not because it’s so hard to detect and that’s what led to Maudie’s death.”
To which Clara replied: ‘I hadn’t even heard of sepsis before Maude died. She had heard of sepsis but not sepsis and they are different and it is not like meningitis, which is easier to detect: you will have very clear signs.
It is more insidious. but when you know the signs, when you know what you’re looking for, then you know. So it’s important to learn what they are.’
Tragic: Jason found Maude, suffering from the flu, dead in her bed on New Year’s Day morning. Despite two visits to the hospital, her flu symptoms masked her sepsis and she went undiagnosed.
Regret: Jason said he still feels somewhat responsible, since he was the one who brought Maude home from the hospital a second time.
Wish: Though Clara expressed regret that the couple had been “so accepting” of the doctor’s initial diagnosis of croup, wishing they had been more “picky” about Maude staying in hospital at the time.
On the symptoms that are so hard to spot, Jason added: “Those symptoms are often hidden behind the presenting symptoms. So it could be a cold or chest infection with sepsis lurking underneath.
‘So one has to wonder: ‘Could it be sepsis?’ We have to rule this out first and then look at those with symptoms.
‘It’s very complicated, childish A&E is very complicated.’
When Adil said that in Maude’s case he had visited the hospital and had been checked by doctors, Clara said, “You thought, oh, she’s fine and she went to bed like any other child and it was in the morning that you found out that something wasn’t right.” not well
“We took her to the hospital, to A&E, two days in a row and both times they sent her home because both times she was misdiagnosed and said she had croup.”
The mother, who also has a daughter Bessie and a son Gilbert with the actor, recounted how, despite her “instincts” telling her otherwise, doctors “reassured” her when they told her her daughter would be fine.
She continued: “I think the sepsis is a secondary illness, so I had the flu and a hacking cough and we got really calm, we went to the hospital and they sent us home twice and I think at that stage before your son dies, you think what they tell you when a doctor tells you.
“I was incredibly calm because my gut was that she’s really not okay, but if they tell me she’s okay and they send her home and they haven’t asked to stay with her overnight, then she’s okay.”
Thoughts: Asked if they had any advice for parents who suspect their own child has the condition, Jason shared: “It’s hard for us as parents, that’s one of the painful things, ‘Did we do everything we could?’
Hindsight: “We always will because it’s that gut thing, ‘If I had been more… pushy and attached to my gut, she’d be seriously ill and not accept her as much.’
Anger: “When we walked into the emergency department, I wanted to say to all the healthcare professionals, ‘Didn’t you see what she looked like when she walked in?’
Making a difference: The couple now campaign for better awareness of recognizing the signs of sepsis
The Lost Honor of Christopher Jefferies star Jason added: “Coming back for the second time when we took Maudie to the hospital for the second time, she was having a hard time breathing and those are the things that are classic symptoms of sepsis, where her son is struggling for breath and her eyes were rolling in her head.
‘When we walked into the A&E department, I wanted to say to all the health professionals, ‘Didn’t you see what she looked like when she walked in?’
The couple are now campaigning for better awareness to recognize the signs of sepsis.
Jason & Clara: In Memory of Maudie airs tonight (March 30) at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
If you need further support or information about grief and bereavement, you can contact the mental health charity Mind on 0300 123 3393.
What are the key symptoms of sepsis? The ‘silent killer’ that can cause death in minutes
Sepsis, known as the “silent killer,” strikes when an infection, such as blood poisoning, triggers a violent immune response in which the body attacks its own organs.
It is a life-threatening condition, caused by infection or injury. Around 245,000 people develop sepsis in the UK each year and 52,000 die, according to the UK Sepsis Trust.
Instead of attacking the invading insect, the body turns on itself, shutting down vital organs.
If caught early, it is easily treated with antibiotics and intravenous fluids, but these must be given as soon as sepsis is suspected: it strikes with frightening speed, and for every hour of delay, the patient’s chance of death increases by 8 percent.
Sepsis is one of the leading causes of preventable death, killing 44,000 people each year.
The early symptoms of sepsis can easily be confused with milder conditions, which means it can be difficult to diagnose.
A high temperature (fever), chills and chills, fast heartbeat, and rapid breathing are also indicators.
A patient can deteriorate rapidly if sepsis is missed early on, so prompt diagnosis and treatment are vital, although this rarely happens.
In the early stages, sepsis can be mistaken for a chest infection, the flu, or an upset stomach.
It is more common and dangerous in older adults, pregnant women, children under one year of age, people with chronic illnesses, or those who have weakened immune systems.
The six signs of something life-threatening can be identified by the acronym ‘SEPSIS’:
- Slurred speech or confusion
- Extreme chills or muscle pain
- not urinate in a day
- severe dyspnea
- Mottled or discolored skin
Anyone who develops any of these symptoms should seek urgent medical help and ask doctors, “Could it be sepsis?”