'People don't realise how serious sepsis is'

Lucy Howlett says her dad Alan, who died from sepsis last year, encouraged her to start her nail business

A nail technician is preparing to spend 24 hours painting nails as part of a fundraising challenge in memory of her father.

Lucy Howlett's dad Alan died from sepsis last year, which the 28-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent said had led her to do something to raise money for the UK Sepsis Trust.

She said there was not enough awareness of the life-threatening illness, which happens when the body's response to infections causes it to harm its own tissues and organs.

Her father would think she was "absolutely crazy" to take on the challenge but would "absolutely love it" Ms Howlett said.

"He was a very witty, sarcastic man," she added.

"He was really happy that I was going self-employed as a nail tech, and he was the main person that drove me to do it so I know he'd be really happy."

She will begin her challenge at 09:00 BST on Saturday to coincide with World Sepsis Day, and continue painting nails until 09:00 on Sunday.

"My clients have been so supportive and so have the local businesses donating raffle prizes to raise money in his honour and I'm beyond overwhelmed at the response," she said.

'Changes lives'

Ms Howlett's father developed sepsis four times in total, but she said his symptoms had not always presented in an expected way.

"It can turn into something so much bigger, and if your body takes a different way to react to it, you just don't know what could be the outcome," she said.

The illness can sometimes be difficult to identify, according to the UK Sepsis Trust.

It was founded in 2012 by NHS consultant Dr Ron Daniels, with the aim of ending preventable deaths and improving outcomes for survivors of sepsis.

Sepsis symptoms include:

• slurred speech or confusion

• extreme pain in muscles or joints

• passing no urine in a day

• severe breathlessness

• the patient feeling as though they were going to die

• mottled or discoloured skin

Source: UK Sepsis Trust

People experiencing any one of those symptoms alongside an infection should go immediately to A&E the charity advised.

"We just don't know enough about it," Ms Howlett said. "It's really sad, and it can literally change lives in a matter of moments.

"I don't think people realise quite how serious it is."