Perth mother’s urgent warning after losing her legs and unborn baby
A Perth mother has given a grave warning to others, after she lost her unborn baby, was forced to have her legs amputated and almost lost her life to sepsis.
Leana Stendell admitted doctors did not expect her to live, however the woman is still here to share her inspirational story of survival.
“He wrote in his notes that I wasn’t going to make it, make the night... but I did!” the woman admitted 7NEWS about her doctor.
Stendell revealed she had woken up one morning vomiting and just 12 hours later she was in a coma, which is where she stayed for 12 days.
The woman sadly lost her son, who was delivered as a stillborn at just 33 weeks.
“I think for my family, that was traumatic because I was asleep, so I don’t have any memory of that and they are there holding that memory instead,” she said.
The Perth mum had Strep A, but it progressed so quickly that she developed sepsis.
It was the same infection that took the life of bubbly seven-year-old Aishwarya Aswath at Perth Children’s Hospital.
“Sepsis is a time-critical emergency, where the body’s response to an infection can cause shock or organ failure or death,” Royal Perth Hospital Jonathon Burcham said.
The mother of two spent four months in hospital, and in that time her legs were amputate just below the knee.
“I remember making that choice that I was going to be okay, and I was going to be happy,” she said.
There are 55,000 cases of sepsis every year in Australia and 8700 deaths – more than seven times the national road toll.
Stendell says that despite her losses, she has gained a brighter outlook on life.
“More so now I’m just grateful and I see the happiness and joy in things and that’s where I want to be,” Stendell said.
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