BAFTA-winning actor Jason Watkins is one of Britain's staple TV and film stars, known for playing characters in major series like The Crown, Line of Duty and Doctor Who.
But he's back on screen in a far more emotional role - one of a heartbroken dad, clutching at his baby's tiny shoes, as he shares the story of the tragic death of his daughter who would never get to grow up. Actor Jason and his wife Clara Francis suddenly lost their little girl, Maude, aged just two-and-a-half in the early hours of New Year's Day, 2011.
Maude died of sepsis, a condition where the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection, causing it to go into overdrive and attack the body's tissues and organs. Now, amid renewed calls from a major UK charity for people to know the signs of the 'silent killer', the family's story is more important than ever.
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'How can you go to sleep one night and have a child who's got a bad cold... then wake up the next morning and your child is dead?'
In a moving documentary, Jason & Clara: In Memory of Maudie, they highlight the emergency condition. First broadcast in March and now on ITV's streaming platform for catch-up, the film shows the family about to move from the flat where Maude was born and died, sharing their story to raise awareness of sepsis and also to give hope to other bereaved parents.
Nicknamed Maudie, she visited A&E twice and was misdiagnosed with croup before being sent home - with the flu-like symptoms masking the signs of sepsis.
Maudie then passed away during the night from the undiagnosed condition, the family shares in the film. But they only discovered after her death that it had been caused by sepsis - branded by the UK Sepsis Trust as a 'silent killer'.
In the film, an emotional Jason shares the horrific moment their older daughter Bessie found Maude.
He said "Bessie came in and said 'I can't wake Maude. And so I went into her room and I saw her on the cot and she was lying flat. And there was a trickle of blood that had dried in her mouth so I knew she died straight away.
"I felt fate had been cruel and we had been smashed around in a storm. That's how it felt."
Clara added: "How can you go to sleep one night and have a child who's got a bad cold and croup and then wake up the next morning and your child is dead?"
Allowing the cameras to follow their personal journey, the couple have therapy together for the first time and meet other parents who have lost their children, in a bid to break taboos around talking about child bereavement.
In the documentary, now available to stream on ITVX, Jason says: “I do feel apprehensive, I do think it’s a delicate thing and I think, ‘Are we doing the right thing?’ But it does feel like something to be shared and it can help us and other people.”
Clara adds: “It’s about breaking down the taboo of child loss. It’s so grim and unspeakable, people don’t know what to say. People don’t know how to act around you, but, also, I want to talk about Maudie and people will know that she’s here.”
'I don't know if I can do it'
As the couple begin to pack up their home and prepare to move, they remember how, in the days following her death, a friend had to store Maudie's belongings as the devastated parents could not face packing them away.
Jason said: “My memories of Maude are that she was such a happy child and very wise and very, kind of, centred. It’s strange because she was only two-and-a-half. She used to play hide and seek. She used to love hide and seek.”
Clara adds: “She was just joyful. A really joyful child and I just feel so sad that I’ll never see her grow up."
The couple finally sift through their daughter's things, and speak candidly about how painful her death remains. "This is where Maude was born. I had her at home, and it is also where she died," says Clara in the documentary.
"Even after 11 years, it is still shocking... I found it very difficult to go in to Maude's bedroom and just see all her stuff as if she were still going to come in.
"Weirdly as time has gone on those things have taken on value to me and I think if we'd got rid of them immediately it wouldn't be a problem, but because they've been there, they've taken on a significance and now I feel compelled to go through them."
Clara, a fashion designer, broke down in tears as she unzipped a bag containing a pair of her daughter's 'little shoes', while Jason picked out a Peter Rabbit toy. "I don't know if I can do it," Clara says frankly. 'What are we going to gain from it? Are you wanting to keep stuff?
"There's a part of me that wants to put my hand in the bag and just grab something and try to get used to it, just to try to make myself keep them."
'It was missed... there is anger there'
The parents have tirelessly campaigned to raise awareness of the illness ever since, but take on perhaps some of their most difficult challenges in the touching film. Jason attends a ground-breaking training programme at Kings College Hospital which attempts to teach medical professionals how to detect signs.
Visiting the morgue and coroners court, Jason said: "This is the most difficult bit. I have this thing about her being on her own when she left the house in that black ambulance and she was taken here.
"I know it seems macabre, but by sharing it maybe it unburdens me a bit or it's sort of saying she existed, she was alive, not just wherever she is now.'
He added: "Obviously it was missed. There's a bit of anger there obviously… I know that irrationally I'm doing this because if I crack it and no more children die, which is ridiculous because they will sadly and that I fully understand the condition that is sepsis, that Maude will come back walk into the room, I've got, it I've cracked it, this is what we need to do and she'll come back into the room… but that's irrational and that will never stop."
What is sepsis?
According to the NHS, sepsis is a life threatening infection which can be hard to spot. It is the body's extreme response to an infection, and happens when an infection you already have triggers a chain reaction throughout your body.
It can be hard to spot, especially in babies and young children, people with dementia, people with a learning disability and people who have difficulty communicating. You cannot catch sepsis from another person. It happens when your body overreacts to an infection. Anyone can get sepsis but some people are more likely to get an infection that could lead to sepsis, including:
- babies under 1, particularly if they're born early (premature) or their mother had an infection while pregnant
- people over 75
- people with diabetes
- people with a weakened immune system, such as those having chemotherapy treatment or who recently had an organ transplant
- people who have recently had surgery or a serious illness
- women who have just given birth, had a miscarriage or had an abortion
It is a medical emergency, and if you or someone you look after has symptoms of sepsis, it is important to call 999 or go to A&E.
What are the signs and symptoms of sepsis?
The NHS has two separate lists of symptoms for sepsis which can appear differently in babies, young children and adults.
The NHS advises that you call 999 or go to A&E immediately if a baby or young child has any of these symptoms of sepsis:
- blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their stomach sucking under their ribcage), breathlessness or breathing very fast
- a weak, high-pitched cry that's not like their normal cry
- not responding like they normally do, or not interested in feeding or normal activities
- being sleepier than normal or difficult to wake
And the following symptoms in an adult or older child:
- acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
- blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet
- a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
Other possible signs of sepsis which you should call 111 to seek advice for, include:
- feeling unwell or like there's something seriously wrong
- not passing urine all day or in the last 12 hours
- vomiting and can't keep food or milk down
- swelling or pain around a cut or wound
- a very high or low temperature, feeling hot or cold to touch or shivering
Treatment for sepsis
Sepsis needs to be treated as soon as possible as it can get worse quickly. Antibiotics should be administered within one hour of arriving at the hospital, the NHS says.
If sepsis is not treated early, it can turn into septic shock and cause your organs to fail which can be deadly. Some people may need treatment in intensive care and need help breathing with a ventilator. Surgery may also be needed to remove areas of infection. Sepsis could also lead to spending several weeks in hospital.
The UK Sepsis Trust (UKST) is calling for more people to become 'sepsis savvy'. Sepsis affects a quarter of a million people and currently claims 48,000 lives each year in the UK, according to the charity.
The UKST is calling specifically for more businesses to sign up to be ‘sepsis savvy’ - a programme that helps them educate their staff about the condition and signs to look for. The charity has set a target of 1,000 businesses by the end of 2023.
Simon Hills, head of partnerships at The UK Sepsis Trust, said: "Every year in the UK, sepsis causes more deaths than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined. Around 60,000 survivors face challenges associated with post-sepsis syndrome.
“There is growing recognition of the condition and public awareness of it as a medical emergency is rising, but more needs to be done. If more businesses join our 'sepsis savvy' movement, we'll raise awareness and help to drive early diagnosis, preventing the loss of life and long-term impact felt by many.”
Jason says: “Maude’s loss can save lives. Sharing her story and what happened and our story, that we offer hope for families, for parents that have lost children, that’s what I want Maude’s memory to do.”
To find out more about The UK Sepsis Trust and to become 'sepsis savvy', visit https://sepsistrust.org/savvy
If you need further support or information about bereavement and grief, mental health charity Mind can be contacted via 0300 123 3393.
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