I'm 8 from Preston & I'm climbing 8 mountains in memory of my grandmother who dies from Sepsis

A schoolboy from Preston is undertaking an inspiring fundraising challenge in memory of his late grandmother.

Eight-year-old Arthur is aiming to climb and walk eight hills and mountains in memory of his grandmother, Hazel, who died from sepsis in 2024.

Arthur is completing the challenge alongside his mother, Jessica Pryce, with the support of their wider family.

Together, they are raising funds for The UK Sepsis Trust and have already completed several demanding routes across Lancashire and the Lake District, raising £515 so far.

Their next challenge will take place on May 3, when Arthur and Jessica climb Pendle Hill in East Lancashire as part of the eight-walk series.

Arthur said: “I’m doing this challenge because I don’t want other children to be sad like I am, missing someone because of sepsis. And I don’t want other people to get sepsis. I wanted to raise money in memory of my Grandma because she would be proud of me and I love climbing mountains (and eating cake after!)”

Jessica Pryce, Arthur’s mother, said: “I’m so proud of Arthur and I know my Mum would be too. Arthur is a true superstar! It means so much to us as a family to help in even a small way in hopefully ensuring other families don’t have hear the words ‘It’s sepsis, I’m sorry, there’s nothing more that we can do.”

The challenge holds deep personal significance for the family.

Hazel, who was originally from Preston, became unwell towards the end of summer 2024, with her condition deteriorating over the following months.

The grandmother of twelve was admitted to hospital on December 13 and later developed pneumonia and a kidney infection.

Her condition rapidly worsened, and both infections progressed to sepsis.

She was placed into a coma and on life support on December 31.

Despite the efforts of medical teams, Hazel died in the early hours of December 24 at the age of 61.

Hazel had been married to her husband Phil for 37 years and was a devoted mother to six children and grandmother to twelve grandchildren.

She was described by her family as a strong, active woman who was deeply loved and remains greatly missed.

Dr Ron Daniels BEM, Founder and Chief Medical Officer of the UK Sepsis Trust, said: “We are incredibly moved by Arthur’s determination and the strength of his family, especially his mother Jessica. Taking on such a challenge at a young age in memory of his grandmother is truly inspiring, and his efforts will allow us to continue our vital work, helping our health service save lives and improve outcomes for the thousands of people affected by this condition every year.”

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition which arises when the body’s response to infection harms its own tissues and organs.

It can lead to shock, multiple organ failure and death if not recognised early and treated promptly.

It affects 245,000 people in the UK annually, claiming 48,000 lives - meaning a staggering five people lose their lives to sepsis every hour.

Sepsis is as common as heart attacks in the UK: nearly 80,000 people each year suffer life-changing after-effects, with 82% of sepsis survivors experiencing ‘Post-Sepsis Syndrome’ more than a year after hospital discharge, and 18% left permanently unable to work.

The UK Sepsis Trust (UKST), founded in 2012 by NHS consultant Dr Ron Daniels BEM, aims to end preventable deaths and improve outcomes for sepsis survivors, striving to raise public awareness and working to support anyone affected by this devastating condition.

UKST educates healthcare professionals; raises public awareness levels and lobbies for political change.

The charity’s team of trained Support Nurses help people through sepsis recovery and bereavement. UKST aims to protect people by enabling the prevention of severe infection and the treatment of sepsis, whilst also helping to ensure antibiotics are used responsibly.

Sepsis presents very differently in each patient, and can be challenging to identify here are, however, six key symptoms you can look for, and they spell the word sepsis: S for slurred speech or confusion, E for extreme pain in the muscles or joints, P for passing no urine in a day, S for severe breathlessness and I for “it feels like I'm going to die”. The final S is for skin that's mottled, discoloured or very pale.

If you spot any one of those six signs in the context of infection, you should go straight to A&E.

UKST’s Sepsis Savvy resources provide the knowledge required to seek urgent treatment at the right time