How can a child go from laughing on a trail to fighting for their life in a hospital bed within days? For nine-year-old Adyan Alam, the shift was as sudden as it was devastating. Just days after a family hiking trip in Wales, fatigue and shortness of breath crept in signs his parents could not have known were the earliest warnings of sepsis, a fast-moving, life-threatening condition that can overwhelm the body in hours.
On the drive home to London, the family pulled into a service station. A few minutes after getting some food, Adyan collapsed, unresponsive. “Everything happened so fast, and we still don’t quite understand how,” said his father, MD Ashraful Alam. Paramedics brought him back to life after his heart had stopped beating for several minutes, but he then suffered another cardiac arrest in the hospital. His organs began shutting down, and he was put into a coma for eight days, kept alive with machines and strong antibiotics.
According to the CDC, sepsis can create an explosive domino effect. For Adyan, it meant clots that cut off blood to his lower extremities. The Sepsis Alliance writes that in a septic state, the clotting system runs out of control, ultimately severing circulation and killing tissue. In cases for many survivors, that means gangrene sets in and amputation. Doctors removed Adyan’s left leg from the knee down and took muscle from his right leg. He awaits getting a prosthetic, using a wheelchair for now.
The family’s ordeal underscores a crucial reality: sepsis in children often is tricky to catch early. “The biggest difference between adult and pediatric sepsis is recognition. A lot of symptoms we look for in sepsis, like a fever, are similar to other illnesses in children.” According to Yale Medicine, each year more than 75,000 children in the United States are treated for severe sepsis, and it can develop from something as innocuous as an infected scrape.
Early signs in children include lethargy, general pain, rapid breathing, or being very sleepy. As Lurie Children’s Hospital experts emphasize, parents should not hesitate at all whenever they suspect that it is sepsis using straightforward language such as I am concerned this may be sepsis, when communicating with the medical team. Time is of the essence since fast treatment can save both lives and limbs.
The aftermath can be profound for families. Research from the University of Utah’s Pediatric Critical Care team has shown that parents are often unprepared for the intense period of recovery after a child has been critically ill. They also have to navigate through medical appointments, rehabilitation, and the “medicalization” of the home by adding in ramps, bathroom modifications, and managing necessary equipment. The emotional strain is common, with parents trying to balance the needs of siblings while coping with their own anxiety or traumatic stress symptoms.
“Our whole life has changed. Adyan is upset because he used to play football and cycle daily. Now he can’t, as his body had to sacrifice his leg due to sepsis. He is accepting what happened and coping, but it is a big adjustment.” Now the family are seeking adapted housing to meet his needs.
Stories like Adyan’s underline how awareness and resilience go hand in hand. Maintaining open communication within the family, peer support with other parents whose children are equally seriously ill, and counseling if stress reactions-like nightmares, irritability, or withdrawal-continue, are coping strategies pediatric trauma specialists recommend. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers resources for parents to help children process medical trauma and adapt to new realities. The message for parents and caregivers, then, is two-pronged: know the signs of sepsis, act fast, and be prepared for a very long journey ahead. Adyan’s survival, amid almost unbearable loss, is testimony to quick medical action, strong family bonds that last. His father speaks with the heft of grief and gratitude combined: “Nothing can prepare you for any of this. But the main thing is we are lucky to have him in our life.”
