Reminder: WSD Supporter Meeting on September 30th at ESICM LIVES in Berlin, Germany

Our next WSD Supporter Meeting is less than a week away - it takes place on September 30th, 2019 at ESICM LIVES 2019 in Berlin. If you are at ESICM LIVES in Berlin, we encourage you to participate – we are looking forward to connecting with you and hearing your ideas and suggestions to continue to raise awareness for sepsis worldwide.

Main topics will be the collaboration with the WHO to roll out the demands of the Resolution on Sepsis, an update on the establishment of regional sepsis alliances, World Sepsis Day, and more. The agenda is available below.

  • Monday, September 30th, 2019

  • 12:15 to 14:00h (lunch break of ESICM LIVES 2019)

  • Meeting Room: M2, Level 3 of the City Cube

  • Snacks will be provided

  • Participation is free of charge and open to everyone

Marvin Zick
PSA: World Sepsis Day Store No Longer Available
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Due to an expiring license, our World Sepsis Day Store is no longer available as of today, September 24th, 2019. Please take a look at our toolkit section for lots of material and resources in many languages. If you need physical material, such as T-Shirts, lanyards, or badges, please create them yourself with a local partner - you may use our logo (available to download in the toolkit section as well).

We plan to open a new store with new items in time for World Sepsis Day next year. If you have know-how in building an online store which combines worldwide shipping, a seamless payment process, and a great customer experience and want to help, please contact us.

Marvin Zick
Caitlin's Sepsis Story – Wearing Her Scars with Pride
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I was the girl terrified of hospitals. It's ironic that; it was there, I faced the biggest fight of my life, met my true heroes and in nearly losing my tongue, gained a whole new voice and cause for something I previously knew nothing about. Every day, I am so grateful to the doctors and nurses for my life. Giving back to the hospital and raising awareness about sepsis and sepsis survivors has become my mission. This is my story of sepsis and my second chance at life.

At 23, after a quiet Saturday night dinner with a friend, following a ‘common cold’; I was home alone and thought I had bitten my tongue. Tired, I lay on my bed, icing my tongue. Little did I know, this slight pain and fatigue would be the first clue to something much more sinister. Less than an hour later, my tongue had swelled, started to block my airway and left me speechless. I’d heard of sepsis but didn’t know what it was and didn’t think it would happen to me.

Home alone, unable to speak with shallow breath - I texted photos of my tongue to people I knew, trying to get answers. Thankfully, my aunt replied and that reply saved my life, as I was running out of energy and eyes closing. We suspected anaphylaxis; she bundled me into the car and raced me to the local hospital.

“45 minutes and you’ll be out”. That’s what we were told by the kind doctors at the hospital, who too, thought it was anaphylaxis. I don’t blame them - all symptoms pointed to this. They gave me two adrenaline shots and a steroid...but it had the opposite effect. My blood pressure completely dropped, my breathing worsened, and I kept passing out, with a rash rapidly spreading over my body. That “45 minutes” turned into an emergency ambulance transfer, induced coma for 9 days and life-saving surgery.

The local hospital tried everything they could, but hadn’t seen this before and made the call for an emergency ambulance transfer to a bigger hospital, with the possibility of an ambulance tracheostomy. Because of my condition, I couldn’t have anyone but doctors in the ambulance with me. The medics were so kind, but I was so scared... It's a scary feeling being strapped in and unable to breathe.

When I arrived at the bigger hospital, there were nearly 20 doctors and specialists waiting. They transferred me to the Intensive Care Unit, where they put me in an induced coma, paralyzed me, and put me on life support (ventilator). My family was told to prepare for the worst as I remained a medical mystery, and the doctors raced against time.

How did this happen? I was a healthy 23-year-old walking around and then, I was fighting for my life, tubed, ventilated, and burning inside out. The question plagued us all. I had seen multiple GP’s about a random rash on my face and a doctor about a common cold days before, but none would have guessed this would happen. That’s the reality of sepsis; it can strike anyone at any moment, yet, many of us don’t know until it’s almost too late. Thankfully, my heroes fought hard and saved my life.

Like most sepsis survivors, I rely on what I was told after I awoke. I was comatose for 9 days with up to 100 people working on me and my mystery condition. I had scans, tests, and infectious disease specialists; but kept deteriorating. The rash burnt the top half of my body, my tongue blackened from lack of circulation and there were talks of amputation. The real cause was sepsis, resulting from Ludwig’s Angina and cellulitis. An unknown infected impacted wisdom tooth shown in a CT scan nearly cost me my life! I had no pain, good oral hygiene and no other symptoms, but the infection took over my body and nearly killed me.

The next part was really scary for my family, but the doctors were amazing. The infection swelling started to crush my jugular vein and there was concern for blood flow to my heart and brain. They needed to quickly stop the infection, preserve my blood supply to my heart and brain and my black tongue couldn't be amputated. Thankfully, they saved my life by surgically removing the tooth, inserting neck drains and putting me on heavy dose IV antibiotics.  

After more than a week in a coma, I woke up, started breathing on my own and slowly recovered. I felt like the luckiest person in the world to be alive. Disoriented and scared, under the influence of drugs, I seriously believed what I had thought ‘happened’ was reality. I remember thinking I was stuck in a body I didn’t understand, and I didn’t understand why my brain didn’t work properly or why simple tasks such as sitting up felt so hard. At the same time, I had never felt more grateful to be able to see, hear, and breathe. I was very weak but after a few days, I was walking; the machines and tubes disappeared. I took myself off painkillers and it was explained to me that the scary ‘reality’ was an effect of the drugs. I wish I had known about the Global Sepsis Alliance back then, because I really didn’t understand what was happening and didn’t know anything about sepsis.

I found World Sepsis Day through Facebook. It’s such a great community to share concerns, hear inspiring stories, and support each other. I had so many questions, couldn’t eat, talk properly and didn’t understand why my brain was so foggy or why I’d stop mid-sentence and forget. I love meeting new people and helping make a difference and just recently the community helped us with someone facing sepsis in the critical hours.

I’m so thankful to be here and determined to make a difference in the world, give back to the hospital and change sepsis. It was in that hospital bed that I made the decision I had been given a second chance at life and to wear my scars with pride, so that others feel okay about theirs, too. Never did I think that my story would allow me to reach the thousands of people that we’ve been able to reach, and I am so grateful everyday just to be here to join the fight against sepsis and make an impact. I am honored to be able to share my story through the Alliance and raise awareness for sepsis and World Sepsis Day.


The article above was written by Caitlin Alsop and is shared here with her explicit consent. The views in the article do not necessarily represent those of the Global Sepsis Alliance. They are not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The whole team here at the GSA and World Sepsis Day wishes to thank Caitlin for sharing her story and for fighting to raise awareness for sepsis.


Marvin Zick
Invitation to Our WSD Supporter Meeting on October 16th at the World Congress of Intensive Care in Melbourne
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We will hold our next WSD Supporter Meeting on October 16th, 2019 at the World Congress of Intensive Care in Melbourne. Main topics will be the collaboration with the WHO to roll out the demands of the Resolution on Sepsis, an update on the establishment of regional sepsis alliances, World Sepsis Day, and more. Please download the preliminary agenda below.

If you are in Melbourne in October, we encourage you to participate – we are looking forward to connecting with you and hearing your ideas and suggestions to continue to raise awareness for sepsis worldwide.

  • Wednesday, October 16th, 2019

  • 12:30 to 14:00h

  • Meeting Room: Hospitality Suite 4

  • Snacks will be provided

  • Participation is free of charge and open to everyone

Marvin Zick
The GSA Is Hiring - Join Our Team Now and Become Our 'Team Assistant'
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We are looking for a
Team Assistant
to become our fourth team member. You will be working part-time (20h a week) at the World Sepsis Day Head Office in Berlin, Germany.

 

About Us

The Global Sepsis Alliance is an international non-profit charity organization with the mission to provide global leadership to reduce the worldwide burden of sepsis. The GSA is the initiator of World Sepsis Day on September 13 and World Sepsis Congress, a series of free online congresses bringing knowledge about sepsis to all parts of the world, among other initiatives.

The GSA works closely with its over 90 member organizations, patient advocacy groups, professional societies, healthcare authorities, and governments to implement changes on how sepsis is prioritized, diagnosed, and treated all around the world, as laid out by the WHO Resolution on Sepsis.

 

Tasks

  • You assist the team as needs arise – scheduling conference calls, making travel arrangements, preparing documents, making bank transfers, and more

  • You support individual projects and preparatory accounting

  • You organize team events and think about new concepts and formats

  • You are the “good soul” of the team and make sure everybody finds the best conditions

 

Requirements

  • You are a true organizational talent, proactive, and a person you can always rely on

  • You have everything at a glance and keep a cool head even in stressful situations

  • You can familiarize yourself quickly and easily with new tasks

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (German helpful, but

    not mandatory)

  • You like to work independently and do not need constant instructions “from above”,

    but think proactively

  • Experience in the field of office management, project management, in the event,

    hotel, or restaurant industry, or as an assistant is an advantage, but not a must. It is more important to us that you bring the right attitude and that you are an organized and positive person.

 

We offer

  • Diversified, exciting challenge in the fast-growing healthcare sector

  • Opportunity to collaborate with renowned experts and key opinion leaders who are world-class in their particular area of expertise

  • Opportunity to help shape sustainable structures in this young non-profit organization with flat hierarchies

 

If you can identify yourself with the above requirements, we look forward to receiving your application documents via our website as soon as possible. We ensure absolute discretion. With equal qualifications, severely disabled are preferred.

Marvin Zick
Event: Roundtable Debate - Time to Act: #StopSepsisEU
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Health First Europe and the European Network for Safer Health Care are organizing a roundtable debate to exchange best practices on sepsis and explore new steps to better manage it. This event takes place at the European Parliament (Room PHS1C47) on Wednesday, September 25th, 2019 from 14:30 to 16:30h.

The discussion will focus on successful initiatives at the country level, designed to raise awareness on the burden of sepsis, its implications, and clinical management. It will also provide a best cases’ exchange with the aim to make sepsis a top priority in the agenda of the new legislative term.

There will be keynote speakers from the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, the WHO, the European Society for Emergency Medicine, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Global Sepsis Alliance, among regional authorities and patient representatives.

Marvin Zick
Today is World Sepsis Day: Social Media, Photo Challenge, Resources, Poster, More
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Today is World Sepsis Day* - countless events in all parts of the world are raising awareness for sepsis today.

In addition to joining local WSD Events, here are some last minute tips to get involved online or in your institution:

 

Sign the World Sepsis Declaration

It’s like a petition against sepsis - the more people sign it, the better.

 

Follow Us on Social Media

We are ‘World Sepsis Day’ on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook - make sure to follow us if you aren’t yet.

 

Post to Your Social Media

Posting to your personal or company social media account raises awareness and helps to save lives. Templates for posts are below - it’s as simple as copying and pasting. All post are 280 characters or less, meaning they work on Twitter effortlessly. Most work best with a WSD Infographic or one of our Sepsis Awareness Clips…

  • Sepsis is not only a medical #emergency, but also a global health crisis, affecting up to 30 million people a year - September 13th is #WorldSepsisDay. Join us in raising awareness for #sepsis - awareness saves lives! #stopsepsis #savelives

  • September 13th is #WorldSepsisDay - I am/We are participating to raise #awareness for #sepsis and #WorldSepsisDay - what are you doing? Start at www.worldsepsisday.org and help #stopsepsis #savelives

  • September 13th is #WorldSepsisDay! Sepsis is the final common pathway to death from most infectious diseases worldwide - these are the most common #sources of #sepsis.

  • September 13th is #WorldSepsisDay! While everybody can get sepsis, certain people are at an even higher risk. Join us in raising #awareness for #sepsis - awareness saves lives! #stopsepsis #savelives

  • September 13th is #WorldSepsisDay! #Sepsis is a medical emergency and must be treated immediately - if you see 2 or more #symptoms, act immediately. #stopsepsis #savelives

  • September 13th is #WorldSepsisDay! #Sepsis is the most preventable cause of death worldwide. It can be prevented by #vaccination, #sanitation, and #awareness. Everything depends on #you! Join us and #stopsepsis #savelives

  • September 13th is #WorldSepsisDay! #Sepsis does not end at hospital discharge - many #sepsissurvivors face lifelong consequences. Join us to raise awareness! #stopsepsis #savelives

  • September 13th is #WorldSepsisDay! Join our global movement now - it is as easy as downloading our free #infographics or #sepsis #awareness clips from www.worldsepsisday.org/toolkits and posting them from your account. Raising awareness starts with #you. #stopsepsis #savelives

  • I am participating in the #WorldSepsisDay #Photochallenge to raise awareness for #sepsis, a disease affecting 30 million people annually, but often neglected by #policymakers, the general public, and even #healthcare #professionals - join the global movement to #stopsepsis now!

  • September 13th is #WorldSepsisDay - I am participating in the #photochallenge to raise #awareness for #sepsis and #WorldSepsisDay - what are you doing? Start at www.worldsepsisday.org and help #stopsepsis #savelives

 

Hashtags

The official hashtags for World Sepsis Day are:

  • #WorldSepsisDay

  • #Sepsis

  • #StopSepsis

  • #SaveLives

We explicitly discourage using #WorldSepsisDay2019, #WSD19, or #WSD - if we want to ‘trend’, it is imperative we all use the same hashtags.

 

Infographics, Sepsis Awareness Clips, and More Free Resources

Our WSD Toolkit Section has tons of new material - brand-new Sepsis Awareness Clips (covering symptoms, sources, risk groups, and more in about 30 seconds), posters, new wallpapers, and of course our WSD Infographics in six languages, among many other things - all for free and just two clicks away. You can use the material on social media or anywhere else on the internet, or even print it.

 

WSD Photo Challenge

The WSD Photo Challenge is a quick and easy way to raise awareness for sepsis and show your support for World Sepsis Day - simply print the photo board you like best, write your name on it, take a picture, and upload to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, or wherever you like.

 

Sepsis in 3 Minutes - Video

Our video ‘What Is Sepsis? (Sepsis explained in 3 minutes)’ has been viewed over 200,000 times across all 7 languages - it explains many facets of the complex topic that is sepsis in just 3 minutes.

Please send the video to your loved ones - it could save their life:

 

Press Release

A press release as well as a press release template is available for you to customize and disseminate in multiple languages.

 

2019 WSD Event Poster

After World Sepsis Day, the 2019 WSD Event Poster will summarize all events that took place around WSD this year - make sure to take some pictures.

On September 14th, we will have a form available here (URL to bookmark: www.worldsepsisday.org/wsdposter) allowing you to upload a short description of your event and the best picture, to be featured on the poster. The poster will be made available for download later this year, and be printed and shipped to you later this year or early next year.

 

Donate to World Sepsis Day

We are a small non-profit charity trying to make the world a better place - every cent helps and will be put to good use.

 

Thank you

Thank you so much for supporting World Sepsis Day - it really means the world to us.

For any questions, please contact us. Due to sheer volume, please allow us a couple of days to respond.


*at least in our time zone ;).

Marvin Zick
Press Release and Press Release Template for World Sepsis Day
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World Sepsis Day is almost here – it is only four days away!

While World Sepsis Day itself continues to raise awareness for sepsis worldwide with countless events on all continents, for example events for medical professionals, sport activities, photo exhibitions, pink picnics, gala events, dinners, public events such as open houses in hospitals and healthcare facilities, and of course online awareness campaigns on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and many more social networks, it is also the most favorable moment to address policymakers, health systems, and medical professionals with regards to the global burden of sepsis.

Through collective and institutional action, mortality rates from sepsis can be reduced by 20 percent by 2025 - there are positive examples from the UK, the US, and Australia, but also from low- and middle-income countries such as Brazil.

Getting this message across is the top priority of our 2019 media campaign and our press release for World Sepsis Day, which you can download below.

Additionally, we have created a template for a press release, which can tailor to your needs and approach the media in your country or jurisdiction.


Press Release


Template for Press Release


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For media inquires, please contact Kathryn Hendrick.

Kathryn.Hendrick@global-sepsis-alliance.org

+1 416 277 6281


Marvin Zick