Photograph kindly taken by Esthers Portraits
Long-standing supporter and dedicated UKST volunteer, Susi Burdell, recently took a bold step in raising sepsis awareness by displaying a large banner at the 2024 Bournemouth Air Show, an event attended by over 600,000 people from August 29th to 31st.
Susi worked incredibly hard to secure a prime location for the banner, with the cost generously covered by Harry Ramsden’s Fish and Chip Restaurant in Bournemouth.
Measuring 7 metres long, the banner featured the “Just Ask: Could it be Sepsis?” message, along with the UK Sepsis Trust’s website address. It was placed in a prominent position by the pier, and was kindly donated by Envista at no extra charge.
Susi has also arranged for a second, smaller banner to be displayed at the headquarters of PramaCare, a domiciliary care agency based in Dorset. This care company is partnering with UKST by putting leaflets and posters in all their 14 charity shops, further supporting our mission.
Susi’s dedication to raising awareness stems from her developing sepsis in 2013 from a UTI. With sepsis being far less known about then, the UTI progressed to pyelonephritis, liver function tests of over 1,000 and infection markers that were ‘off the scale’, according to her Neurologist. This culminated in sepsis, and sepsis-associated delirium.
Since then, she has been a tireless advocate for UKST, and has completed half of a 50-mile ‘Cycle for Sepsis’ in her powered wheelchair, raising an impressive £1,720 so far. That’s the equivalent of Bournemouth to Southampton!
We’re incredibly grateful to Susi for her remarkable awareness-raising efforts and applaud her commitment. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved in making these banner placements possible – your support truly makes a difference!
