Danielle Webb was married to Christopher for less than 56 hours before he died and is now sharing their story as a cautionary tale.
A mom from Co Antrim, who tragically became a widow just six days after her wedding, is telling her story to raise awareness about sepsis.
Danielle Webb experienced the unimaginable when her husband Christopher succumbed to sepsis over a mere 56-hour span in December 2022. Despite flu-like symptoms and a sore throat, Christopher mustered the strength to exchange vows on December 13.
Sadly, within days, the 38-year-old’s health took a drastic turn. He was placed on life support in the ICU and passed away by December 19, reports Belfast Live.
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Danielle, recounting the harrowing experience, said: “On Wednesday, December 14, 2022, the day before our wedding, Chris started to become unwell at around 6am with a sore throat and flu-like symptoms. It woke him from his sleep and he started complaining of a pins and needle sensation in his throat.”
“We purchased some over the counter meds from the chemist to help alleviate what we thought was the start of a flu. Thursday, December 15 was the day Chris and I got married. Chris still wasn’t feeling very well but he pushed through as best he could and made it to the end of the evening.”
However, his health took a drastic turn the next morning. Danielle recounted: “He woke with a rattle in his chest and said he felt very sleepy despite having slept all night. An ambulance was called and when they arrived the paramedics didn’t display any immediate concern. They said that they felt that a GP could probably see him but that, because they were already there, they would look after him.
“After working with him for around 30 minutes in the back of the ambulance they said he was borderline septic and took him straight off to AandE at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. About 40 minutes later the female paramedic called me and told me that Chris was in AandE being treated for sepsis that wasn’t deemed to be life threatening and that I should put a bag together for him as he was likely to be in hospital for a few days.
“But it was on my way to the hospital that his consultant called me and told me Chris was extremely ill and would need to be sedated and ventilated and taken to Intensive Care.”
Danielle said Chris remained calm despite everything going on, while the family were “shocked and worried” as he was taken into ICU.
“The doctors had told Chris at his bedside in AandE, in person, that he was very sick and would need to go off to sleep for a little while to help his body rest and heal. Chris was very calm when he was told this,” she said.
“He was always very good at staying calm in chaotic situations. He suffered with a severe allergy to an unknown food and had therefore suffered episodes of anaphylaxis in the past. He was always fantastic at staying calm in those situations and this was no exception. As a family we were terrified though – we were shocked and worried for Chris. We didn’t know what was going to happen and it was very scary.
“Christopher was put on breathing apparatus, almost like a giant CPAP (a continuous positive airway pressure) machine. This was to force oxygen into his lungs as they had become saturated with pneumonia. He was also on IV antibiotics to fight infection, the oral antiviral TAMIFLU and was having his blood pressure, heart rate and O2 levels constantly monitored.”
Danielle said: “It was decided that he needed to be taken to ICU to be sedated and placed on a ventilator. There were no ICU beds left in the hospital at that stage in December though so an operating theatre was shut down and turned into an ICU unit to take care of him. We were told he had Toxic Shock Syndrome or that he had gone into septic shock.
“His lungs were failing because of the pneumonia and there was a super bug in his blood coming from the strep A infection. Christopher was very unstable during this time. On the Saturday morning he had gained some stability and was able to be transferred to Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast from Causeway Hospital.
“But his liver, and soon after his kidneys also started to fail. He was given medication to help the liver and was put on dialysis for his kidneys. He then had to be put on nitrous oxide to help his breathing and was also given medication to help his blood clot as it had stopped doing so by itself. He had cooling pads placed all over him to help bring his temperature down and was kept out of pain with pain meds this entire time.
“At 7.40am on Monday, December 19, 2022, Chris went into cardiac arrest and, despite the best efforts of the medical staff, sadly passed almost 40 minutes later.”
Danielle is sharing Chris’ story in the hope of raising awareness around sepsis symptoms, how they can mimic flu, and the importance of getting treatment quickly.
Remembering her husband, Danielle said he was “a huge character” and loved her and their son Adam, who was just three-years-old at the time, deeply. She said: “Chris was a very loving man who doted on his family. He loved life and being a daddy.
“His life really took on purpose when his son was born – he was an amazing father and husband to Adam and me. I would love him to be remembered for the amazing man he was: funny and kind and loved fiercely.
“He loved Liverpool FC and he loved the horses. He was at his happiest on a Saturday afternoon watching the match with his feet up!”.
“Grief is a terrible road to walk and is a road you will never be able to get off. That doesn’t mean that the sun won’t shine for you and that you won’t find joy along the road.
“Chris was a huge character and loved me deeply. I let that love live on in me and Adam and I do the best I can, honouring and remembering Chris along the way.”
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