ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — What began as an ordinary day for Mary Gordon quickly turned into a fight for survival when an untreated skin infection led to septic shock, cardiac arrest, and a two-week coma.

Gordon and fellow survivor, Lawrence Roberts, are sharing their harrowing recoveries to educate the public on sepsis—a medical emergency that healthcare leaders warn remains dangerously misunderstood.

“I don’t think the general public really understands just how dangerous sepsis can be,” said Cheryl Reinking, chief nursing officer at El Camino Health.

September marks National Sepsis Awareness Month; it’s an effort to alert communities to the rapid onset of the condition and the critical need for immediate medical intervention.

‘It shuts down all your vital organs’

Gordon’s ordeal began April 12, 2021 when a boil failed to heal after home care. Upon seeing a doctor, she was rushed directly to the emergency room.

Her heart stopped on the operating table, requiring resuscitation, ventilator support, and aggressive intravenous antibiotics.

“Sepsis is something that you don’t want to get,” Gordon said. “It’s a bacteria that gets in your bloodstream and go all through your body and shuts down all your vital organs.”

When Gordon woke up two weeks later, she had lost the ability to walk. After intensive physical therapy during a two-and-a-half-month hospital stay, she took her first steps again.

“If I hadn’t went to the doctor, I would have died,” Gordon said. “I had 12 hours to seek medical attention.”

Everyday infections can trigger rapid decline

Sepsis happens when the body has an extreme, toxic response to an existing infection. It can originate from everyday ailments such as:

• boils, cysts, and abscesses
• minor cuts, scrapes, or ingrown hairs
• post-surgical incisions
• strep throat, pneumonia, or urinary tract infections

Roberts developed sepsis after cancer surgery when a cyst opened on his back. His diagnosis resulted in a 21-day hospitalization, high-dose antibiotic treatments, temporary loss of mobility, and a 70-pound weight drop.

“I didn’t have any pain, but my energy was gone,” Roberts said. “I couldn’t stand for two minutes. I couldn’t stand up and cook. Your energy is just completely gone.”

The critical ask: Get screened immediately

Healthcare experts and survivors stress that patients experiencing persistent infections, profound exhaustion, sudden weakness, or worsening illness should seek emergency care and advocate for testing.

“If you get sick and the doctors don’t know what’s going on, ask them to check you for sepsis,” Gordon said. “Because all it takes is blood... and they can check you from there and put you on some radical antibiotics to save your life.”

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