FORT MYERS, Fla. — A syndrome that affects millions of Americans every year is front and center this month in the state of Florida.
This year, a 78-year-old doctor has made it his mission to take the fight against sepsis personally.
"Emotionally, it affects so many people. It’s incredible- I’ve never recovered, I’ve never gotten better.”
For Carl Flatley, the word sepsis has an emotional meaning.
"My daughter went in for a simple hemorrhoidectomy, she was 23-years-old, healthy as can be," he says. "It was in and out surgery they said, routine. Five days later she died of sepsis.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines sepsis as the body’s extreme response to infection. With at least 1.7 million Americans developing sepsis in a typical year.
"Whereas you get a cut on your finger it gets red and it oozes blood and fluid. When you get sepsis, that happens throughout your body. It’s life threatening, it can cause tissue damage, organ failure, amputations, and even lead to death.”
Carl’s daughter Erin had gone in for what was a routine outpatient procedure. But it led to an infection, undetected and untreated by her physicians.
“I was with her when she died," he said. "She looked at me and with her eyes she said, I could see it in her eyes, ‘Can’t you do something, dad?’ that has driven me for 20 years. Everything I’ve done has been because of that look and there was nothing I could do.”
What Flatley has done in those 20 years is start Sepsis Alliance. An organization dedicated to raising awareness about the deadly syndrome.
“I went to the CDC, I went to NIH, I went to Halls of Congress, I went to the state of Florida with the governor. I had knocked on all the doors saying what’s going on, who’s taking care of this? No one was doing anything. CDC wasn’t even keeping track of it. We are one of the founders, one of the sepsis alliances. I like to think Erin was instrumental in changing the world of sepsis throughout the globe.”
This year, his efforts have been recognized by the state of Florida with September being declared Sepsis Awareness Month.
Throughout the years, he’s trekked numerous miles while raising awareness and money. But this year he has something pretty big planned.
“I turned 78, I had cardiac arrest, I have five stints so I thought, ‘Well I’d better do something special I’m having such a great year,’" said Flatley. "So I’ve decided to ride the coast of Florida which is 2,000 miles.”
His goal- cycle the coast of Florida in 30 days.
“My goal is to raise $100,000 and I’ll get there because between my daughter’s foundation and myself, I’m putting in $50,000 so we’re halfway there. I haven’t even started and I’m halfway there so it’s good.”
So having trained and equipped with his brand-new trike, Carl is eager to hit the road once again. All the while keeping Erin at the forefront of his mission.
"hopefully all of this will- it will never make up for it- but she’ll know I did something.”
Carl will start making his journey this Saturday. If you’d like to follow along on his journey, or learn more about sepsis awareness, you can find more information online right here.
