However, less than 24 hours later Kristina Loughbridge from Carrickfergus, was in intensive care with multiple organ failure, fighting for her life against sepsis. 鈥淚 exercised regularly, didn鈥檛 drink or smoke, and watched what I ate,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淎nd yet, I still ended up on life support. It can happen to anyone,鈥 said Kristina, who was ordained a Presbyterian elder in September 2023. Now 38, Kristina is sharing her extraordinary story of survival to raise awareness of the signs and severity of sepsis鈥攁 condition she believes most people still don鈥檛 know enough about. Friday, July 26, 2019 started off like any other. Kristina and her three children had visited her sister and gone for a walk. She remembers feeling a little weary and suggested a takeaway for dinner. Later that evening, she began to experience cramping in her lower abdomen and went to bed early. But by the middle of the night, the pain had intensified. 鈥淚 woke up and told my husband Craig I thought I was going to die,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 was in so much pain. He rubbed my tummy to comfort me, and I drifted in and out of sleep.鈥 Her condition deteriorated quickly. By morning, she was rushed to Whiteabbey Hospital where doctors suspected sepsis and immediately arranged her transfer to Antrim Area Hospital. Surgery followed, including a laparotomy, but her organs began to fail. 鈥淢y kidneys and lungs were shutting down. My family was told to say goodbye,鈥 she says. Doctors at Antrim concluded that Kristina needed ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation)鈥攁n advanced life support system that filters and oxygenates the blood outside the body, giving the lungs and heart time to recover. But the machine, and the expert team needed to operate it, were only available at St Thomas鈥 Hospital in London. As Kristina鈥檚 condition worsened, hope arrived in the most unexpected form. 鈥淎 visitor overheard the consultant explaining the difficulty in getting the ECMO team to Antrim,鈥 Kristina says. 鈥淭hat man turned out to be a retired RAF Wing Commander (my guardian angel in disguise)鈥攁nd he secured a private helicopter.鈥 The aircraft flew to London, collected the specialist team, and refuelled in Wales before arriving at Antrim. Kristina was connected to the machine and stabilised for airlift to London. For the next 10 days, she lay in a coma at St Thomas鈥 Hospital. Doctors warned her husband that Kristina might not survive the removal of ECMO support, and even if she did, her cognitive function could be severely impaired. But the morning after they began reducing the support, Kristina鈥檚 body responded in what her doctors called 鈥渘othing short of a miracle.鈥 鈥淎 nurse ran down the hallway to meet Craig and said I had woken up, that I had passed all the fluid and was responsive. I can tell you the power of prayer had a massive influence on this, I am sure.鈥 Kristina鈥檚 first memory after waking was a nurse asking her to breathe. After a week in London, she was flown back to Northern Ireland, but her battle was far from over. 鈥淚 had to learn how to walk, eat, even hold a pencil again,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 spent months in a wheelchair and years in therapy. It wasn鈥檛 just a physical recovery鈥攊t was emotional and mental too.鈥 She was finally discharged from the Brain Injury Team in September 2023, four years after her ordeal began. Today, she still lives with permanent nerve damage in her left leg, sound sensitivity, memory issues and chronic fatigue. But she counts herself lucky. 鈥淢y husband was my primary carer, my rock. He looked after me and our children without complaint. Our community rallied around us. I鈥檒l never forget that support.鈥 Doctors were never able to pinpoint the source of Kristina鈥檚 infection. 鈥淭hat was terrifying. How do you protect yourself from something you can鈥檛 trace? But as a Christian, I believe everything happens for a reason鈥攁nd I鈥檝e seen good come from this.鈥 Kristina鈥檚 story has already helped raise awareness among her friends, family and wider community. 鈥淚f you feel something is wrong鈥攄on鈥檛 wait. Sepsis can escalate incredibly fast. Know the symptoms, trust your instincts, and get medical help immediately. “My sister also had sepsis during pregnancy, so I had some knowledge. That awareness might have saved my life.鈥 Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused when the body鈥檚 response to an infection injures its own tissues and organs. Sepsis Research FEAT, the UK鈥檚 only sepsis research and awareness charity, is dedicated to combating the devastating effects of sepsis, said Kristina鈥檚 story illustrates just 鈥渉ow quickly sepsis can take hold and how serious it can be.鈥 The charity has encouraged everyone to be aware of be aware of sepsis symptoms. These include:Slurred speech or confusion; extreme shivering or muscle pain; passing no urine in a day; severe breathlessness; skin mottled or discoloured.