Amputee musician's call for sepsis awareness

Pianist Simon Alexander had his fingers and legs amputated

A musician who lost his fingers to sepsis is calling on others to look out for symptoms of the condition.

Simon Alexander, from Crowborough, East Sussex, dismissed an illness as flu in 2017.

But after six weeks in a coma, he had his fingers and legs amputated and was forced to give up playing the piano, guitar and violin.

“If you feel ill, and everyone is telling you it’s just a cold, and you know something is really wrong, get it checked,” he said.

Feeling unwell with a cough, Mr Alexander was driven home by his father and slept for 24 hours before calling his GP.

He was eventually taken to hospital in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, where tests confirmed he had sepsis and he was placed in an induced coma.

“Like me, if you leave it 24 hours too late, it can be really life changing,” he said.

“If I had gone and got myself checked when I felt ill, I don’t think I would’ve lost my legs.”

Sepsis happens when the body attacks itself in reaction to an infection.

Abi Dawson, of the charity Sepsis Research FEAT, said getting rapid treatment could drastically improve outcomes of the condition.

“Simon himself would say he wishes he hadn’t waited 24 hours to get that treatment,” she said.

Ms Dawson also highlighted five key symptoms to look out for, including a high or low temperature, uncontrolled shivering, not passing enough urine, blotchy or cold arms and legs and confusion.