Lindsay Dawson developed sepsis in March 2024 after being bitten by an insect while on holiday in Gran Canaria.
She’s sharing her story to highlight the emotional and physical toll of sepsis, and to call for better aftercare support following a life-changing experience.
In March 2024, Lindsay Dawson was on holiday with three friends in Gran Canaria. One afternoon, while sitting on the grass, she noticed a few ants nearby.
“I was reassured by one of my friends that they didn’t bite – she has a property there, so I trusted her,” Lindsay explained.
Later that evening, Lindsay began to feel some tenderness on her left buttock, but didn’t think much of it. Two days later, the area had become hard, swollen, and extremely painful – and she began experiencing flu-like symptoms.
“I felt dreadful, but I didn’t want to make a fuss. We flew home on 21st March – five days after the bite – and I could hardly walk,” said Lindsay.
Lindsay was in such intense pain on the flight that she could barely sit down. The next day, she managed to get a GP appointment – and was immediately sent to hospital, 12 miles away.
“The bite site was around eight inches across by then. A good friend drove me to hospital, but I had to ask her to pull over because I started vomiting. I just about crawled into the hospital on my hands and knees,” she said.
Within two hours of arriving, Lindsay’s kidneys stopped working. She was rushed into emergency surgery to remove the infected tissue.
She said: “I had a wound that couldn’t be stitched, so it had to be packed and dressed every day. It was agony.”
Lindsay spent two nights in intensive care and four days on IV antibiotics. She was in hospital for eight days in total.
What followed was a long and difficult recovery – made worse by the lack of aftercare: “There was no real support afterwards, apart from the daily dressing changes. I couldn’t work anymore. I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD, my iron levels are still low, I have no energy and I experience terrifying bouts of uncontrollable shivering.”
At the time, Lindsay didn’t realise how serious sepsis could be – and wishes she’d acted sooner: “I felt terrified – I had no idea what was happening to me. All I’d really heard about sepsis was that it used to be called septicaemia, and people lost limbs. I didn’t know how fast it could happen.”
Looking back, she says she would have raised the alarm sooner.
She also wants others to be aware of the signs, so they can help spot it in their friends: “If someone tells you they feel ill – as ill as I did – take it seriously.”
Now, Lindsay is keen to raise awareness of sepsis and the long-term impact it can have on survivors. She said: “I want people to know that emotional aftercare matters too. Surviving sepsis is only the start – the effects can last long after the infection has gone.”
