Man Who Lost Eye To Sepsis Embarks On Mission To Raise Awareness Of Condition Claiming Lives

Bench-pressing nearly 24 stones and not having visited a doctor for 20 years, Stan Burkett-Coltman was the picture of health.

So when he started experiencing pain in his left arm and blurred vision, nothing would prepare him for the chain of events that would unfold.

Within days Stan, a self-employed insolvency practitioner, was in hospital as he battled sepsis – the immune system’s overreaction to an infection or injury which basically sees the body attack itself.

He survived but lost the sight in his left eye; and so when recovering in his hospital bed Stan decided to turn his back on the rat race and 20 hour days for his new ‘passion’ of trying to reduce the number of sepsis deaths.

Stan, who has instructed specialist medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate his care and whether more could have been done to diagnose his sepsis sooner, is now using World Sepsis Day to help raise awareness of the signs of the condition.

He says: “For a day or two before my diagnosis I was sweating then going cold and the pain in my arm was like someone was pouring boiling water over me.

“It was only when I was sat in hospital recovering that it hit me. I was told that I was lucky and if I had not have been as fit and strong, the doctors think I probably would not have survived sepsis.”

Stan, of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, visited the A&E department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, on 17 October, 2016, complaining of pain in his left arm and blurred vision. Stan also told staff he had experienced pain in his left arm and had been feeling unwell for a week.

Stan was discharged home and advised to make a hospital appointment with regards to his eye. 

The following day he woke to find his vision had deteriorated. Stan contacted his optician who told him to visit hospital. Doctors initially believed he may have a cornea infection. However, the following day he was diagnosed with bacterial infection group A streptococcus.

Stan was transferred to another hospital for specialist treatment, however, doctors were unable to save his eye.

“I spent around two weeks in hospital afterwards but it’s not like things suddenly got better when I left hospital,” Stan recalls. “I was really weak and whereas before I was training for a half ironman event, bench-pressing 150 kilos, now it took around 40 minutes just to walk a mile.

“I felt like I had a constant headache for about 20 months. It felt like I would get up in a morning with a headache and go to bed with one. I was already on 12 different types of medication because of the sepsis so I did not want to be taking more tablets on top.”

Stan, who is married to Jackie, 57, now wears a prosthetic eye. He has been unable to return to work since but is gradually building his strength up by walking and physio sessions.

Last year he took part in a charity walk in Romsey, Hampshire, raising around £2,500 for UK Sepsis Trust. A golf day at Stocks golf club, where he is scratch team captain also raised £2,500, as did a similar event at Meon Valley golf club. Money donated to the charity in lieu of presents for his 50th birthday this year raised another £800.

Stan says: “The last few years have been difficult and I have had to get used to a lot of changes in life but I am determined to stay positive.

“You only get one crack at life and so I want to make the most of it. Yes I’ve lost an eye but there’s many others out there who have not been as fortunate.

“I am now passionate about helping people be more aware of sepsis and how dangerous it can.  I have beaten sepsis and I am going to get others to beat it. If I can save one person’s life, I can save somebody else’s world.”

Expert Opinion

“Through our work we often see the devastating consequences that sepsis can have on those diagnosed with the condition and their families.

“We are investigating Stan’s care and if during our investigations any failings are identified, it is important that lessons are learned to improve patient care.

“Stan’s tenacity to overcome sepsis and determination to make others aware of the condition is inspiring.

“We join him in using World Sepsis Day to promote the importance of spotting the signs of sepsis early so patients can receive vital care at the earliest opportunity.” Leena Savjani - Partner

World Sepsis Day, is September 13, and aims to raise awareness of sepsis, which is a life threatening condition that arises when the body’s response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. Sepsis leads to shock, multiple organ failure and, potentially, death especially if not recognised early and treated promptly.

Signs include slurred speech, confusion, extreme shivering and muscle pain, passing no urine in a day, severe breathlessness and mottled or discoloured skin.

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