A 'BUBBLY and caring' woman collapsed suddenly after getting back from holiday - and passed away just 12 hours later. Laura Hughes, a trainee counsellor from East Anglia, became fatally ill with sepsis in May 2023. Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to a infection where the immune system rapidly spirals out of control, attacking the body's own tissues and organs as well as the infection.
More research is needed to understand why this extreme immune response happens in some people . But it can be hard to diagnose and may be fatal if not treated promptly, as it can develop rapidly in a matter of hours. Laura, 37, arrived home in Whissonsett, Norwich from a holiday in Lincolnshire.
Read more on sepsis She felt shivery and unwell that evening and took herself to bed. Laura went to the bathroom during the night and collapsed - she was found by her housemate lying on the bathroom floor Her eyes were glazed and staring and she was unable to communicate. The housemate immediately called an ambulance and got in touch with Laura's parents to warn them.
Most read in Health "When we heard we were in shock – as far as we knew she’d arrived home with no problems following a lovely holiday with her friend," her mum and dad, Joan and David Hughes, said. At this point it was 4.50am - less than 12 hours later Laura had passed away, leaving her parents and sister Emma reeling.
Sepsis can be triggered by bacterial, fungal or viral infection as well as something as minor as an insect bite .