A young mum has described how her world was turned upside-down after her son was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition at just three weeks old.
Lucy Shields, 36, from Durham, was left devastated when her son Roman contracted sepsis, which has left him unable to walk.
Roman, now two years old, also suffers from brain damage, epilepsy and is fed through a tube, Chronicle Live reports.
His heartbroken mum said a do not resuscitate (DNR) order was put in place during his most recent hospital stay.
Lucy said: "I feel like I live on eggshells every day because I just don't know what's going to happen to Roman each day.
"Our lives just aren't the same anymore and it never will be the same because he's never going to get better."
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The mum-of-three, from Gateshead, said: "Sepsis has changed all of our lives, not just Roman's, but the whole family's.
Roman was diagnosed with sepsis on October 12, 2019, which was also his eldest brother's 16th birthday.
Lucy and dad Richard had taken Roman to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Gateshead, with what she believed was colic.
But doctors rushed Roman to intensive care after diagnosing the youngster with sepsis and he remained on life support for three weeks.
Lucy said: "When we got to the hospital they took one look at him and rushed him to resus. He was fragile and floppy and the sepsis had impacted his brain.
"Within minutes my life was turned upside down."
Roman was able to spend Christmas 2021 at home with his family after being discharged from Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary on December 22.
But on Boxing Day the family received a shock when Roman tested positive for Covid, which he thankfully managed to fight.
Lucy said: "I don't know where Roman gets the strength from, he's just so bubbly. He tries to babble on and he's such a happy baby. But when he's poorly he gets sick very quickly.
"I look at him and I can't even explain how he makes me feel. I just try to cherish every day with him and try to give him the best that we can and spend as much happy time as I can with him."
Lucy said she knew nothing about sepsis before her son's diagnosis and hopes her story can raise awareness of the infection, which can be difficult to detect in people.
Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that happens when the immune system overreacts to an infection and starts to damage the body's tissues and organs.
Symptoms can be difficult to spot as there are lots of possible symptoms which can be vague.
More information about sepsis can be found on the NHS website or the Sepsis Trust charity website.
