After developing sepsis at just 16 weeks old, Harry was rushed to hospital and fought for his life as doctors worked urgently to stabilise him.
His mother, Mollie, is sharing his story to raise awareness of how quickly sepsis can escalate and to encourage parents to trust their instincts when their child is unwell.
On the morning of 3rd March 2025, Harry woke up displaying what seemed to be signs of a urinary tract infection, something his mother, Mollie, was familiar with due to his existing kidney condition, hydronephrosis. He was sweating, had a high temperature, refused his bottle, and let out an unusual cry. Though he was clearly in pain, sepsis was not something that crossed Mollie’s mind. “I thought it was a UTI,” she said. “He settled a little, so I booked him an appointment, and we both slept for most of the morning. He often goes back down for a nap, so I didn’t think it was unusual.”
As the morning went on, it became clear that something was seriously wrong. “Waking him up again, Harry was clearly unwell,” Mollie recalled. “My happy baby was gone.” She didn’t initially think much of his mottled skin, clammy feel, or cold feet, as he had always been a mottled baby. But looking back, she now realises how different this was. “I can now tell the difference between normal mottling and sepsis mottling,” she said.
By the time they arrived at the GP surgery, Harry’s condition had deteriorated further. “His quivering cry was breaking my heart, he showed no emotions, my son was blank” Mollie said. Within minutes of seeing him, the doctor called an ambulance to the surgery, saving his life. Blue-lighted to hospital, a team was waiting at the doors to receive him. “It took an hour to insert his cannula, which is terrifying when you have an hour to act, his heart rate was reaching 245bpm. I thought he was going to go into cardiac arrest.”
Harry was severely dehydrated, lethargic, and struggling to regulate his body temperature. His skin took five seconds to bounce back when pressed, a telltale sign of sepsis. As he lay in the hospital waiting for a room, he suddenly burst into laughter. “Looking back, Harry was definitely hallucinating at this point,” Mollie said. That evening, he remained in a daze, and his infection markers were alarmingly high, with elevated lactic acid levels. His temperature spiked at 39.5°C, and his heart rate hovered between 190 and 200bpm even at rest.
It took several days for antibiotics to start working. When his first cannula fell out, doctors had to shave a patch of his hair to insert a new one in his head. “My poor baby became yellow, and he physically smelt unwell – a smell I will never forget,” Mollie said. But by 7th March, Harry had improved significantly. His infection markers had returned to normal, and he was finally well enough to go home.
Despite his recovery, the cause of Harry’s sepsis remains unknown. “Unfortunately, his blood and flu cultures didn’t grow, so we never found out where the infection came from,” Mollie said. “There are so many different types of infections – bacteria, fungal, parasitic – that not all can be tested for. That’s what we were told.”
Looking back, Mollie knows how fortunate they were. “We thought we were going to lose Harry. We are very lucky at how quickly our GP acted, and it goes to show the importance of being able to recognise the symptoms of sepsis,” she said. “We will never get over at how fast sepsis moves. Thinking back to that day makes me feel physically sick.”
Harry unwell with sepsis
Before Harry’s illness, Mollie knew nothing about sepsis. Now, she urges other parents to be aware of how quickly it escalates. “It moves rapidly – you don’t even have time to grab clothes, so don’t” she said. “Know the signs and never doubt yourself. I even had a moment thinking, ‘Is my son just teething?’ You will question yourself, but trust your gut.”
Mollie and her family are incredibly grateful for the medical staff who saved Harry’s life. “We were very blessed to have amazing doctors and nurses, and we thank the NHS for saving Harry, recognising his symptoms and acting immediately,” she said. By sharing his story, she hopes to help other parents spot sepsis early and act fast – because when it comes to sepsis, every second counts.
