Story Shared by his mother, Aoife Randall – Tipperary, Ireland

My son Levi was just a newborn when he became critically ill with sepsis caused by parechovirus. (Parechovirus is a common virus that causes a fever, rash and respiratory infection. The condition is dangerous to infants younger than three months old.) 

The first signs were small but worrying. He refused to feed, was hard to wake, and looked pale and “out of it.” At first, I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but when he continued to refuse feeding, I knew I had to get him medical help.

Looking back, I wish I had been told more about the warning signs of sepsis in newborns before we were discharged home. I simply didn’t know what to watch for until it was almost too late.

Levi’s recovery has been long, slow, and life-changing. But now, three years later, he has made massive improvements. He still faces challenges, but he is happy and thriving, and I am so grateful for how far he’s come.

I want other parents to know that recovery from sepsis can be long and difficult, but it is possible. There can be a happy life after sepsis. Levi is proof of that.