Parents reflect on 'wonderful legacy' of daughter

Maddy Lawrence died of sepsis two weeks after dislocating her hip in a rugby match

The parents of a student rugby player who died from sepsis after doctors missed chances to give her antibiotics say a charity set up in her memory is a "wonderful legacy" for her.

Maddy Lawrence, 20, died from an infection in hospital in Bristol two weeks after dislocating a hip in a University of the West of England rugby match in March 2022.

In her honour, Karen and Simon Lawrence set up a charity called Maddy's Mark to promote positive mental health and wellbeing in young women through rugby.

"It doesn't take anything away from our sorrow at not having Maddy here, but it does give us a positive thing to go forward with for her and in doing that, it keeps her name alive," Ms Lawrence said.

In the three years since the charity was established, it has raised more than £100,000 and extended its reach across England.

It has also partnered with Gloucester Rugby Charitable Foundation to launch a new programme called Maddy's Captains to offer six weeks of training and classes to girls.

Simon Lawrence attended Gloucester Rugby Club to launch Maddy's Captains in August

Mr and Ms Lawrence said their daughter would have been "proud" to see her "mark on the world" with the success of the charity.

"She was a very special girl and she really looked out for people, she was brave and she was graceful and she had so many wonderful qualities, but she also looked out for people and she loved helping," Mr Lawrence said.

Ms Lawrence added: "I think she'd find it really hard to believe that all of this was for her, in her name."

A coroner at an inquest held in 2023 concluded her death at Southmead Hospital on 25 March 2022 was contributed to by neglect.

A medical system called News - a national early warning score - should have indicated any deterioration or condition like sepsis, the inquest heard.

But the coroner found her deterioration was "not recognised" and life-saving treatment "not commenced promptly". North Bristol NHS Trust Chief Medical Officer Tim Whittlestone acknowledged "the omissions in her care".

Maddy's parents say she would have been "proud" of the success of Maddy's Mark

As well as launching the charity, Maddy's parents also released all her medical data to allow medical staff to learn from the experience and implement training to prevent it happening to another patient.

Mr Lawrence said feedback from staff had been positive, with some describing it as "some of the best" training they had ever had.

"It could be a dry subject to some, but if you see two grieving parents, actually explaining why we're doing this… maybe it gave us a chance to save a few people," Mr Lawrence said.