Local woman shares inspiring story of her battle against sepsis

BALTIMORE – September is National Sepsis Awareness Month, a disease that affects more than a million Americans each year and can be fatal.

In May 2021, Jackie Duda almost died of septic shock.

“When I closed my eyes, I thought I would never see anyone again,” said Duda, a sepsis patient and advocate.

After being admitted to the hospital in Hagerstown, she was diagnosed with a colon perforation.

“I developed respiratory failure, so they put a ventilator down my throat,” Duda said.

She was flown by helicopter to a shock trauma center in Baltimore and had to undergo emergency surgery immediately.

“They removed a third of my colon because it was a mess. There was E. coli everywhere and that's why I went into septic shock,” she said.

Duda, a wife, mother and former teacher, spent nearly a month in the hospital.

“I fought for her. I really did,” she said. “I wanted to live, to get well.”

This began the long road to recovery, which ranged from relearning simple things like brushing teeth to walking independently.

“I was really lucky and I didn't know exactly why I was so lucky because a lot of people die because of what I had,” she said.

In septic shock, the mortality rate is 30 to 40%.

“Sepsis comes on slowly and is fatal if not treated in time. I just want to help people survive,” Duda explained.

Now he is advocating for the nearly 1.7 million Americans diagnosed with sepsis each year.

Dr. Cheyenne Falat of the University of Maryland Medical Center says the disease is the result of the body overreacting to an infection.

“So if you get a fever, have a high pulse, have trouble breathing and your hands are sweaty, these are all warning signs and it is important to recognize them,” explains Falat.

If sepsis is not treated quickly, it can lead to organ failure, shock and death.

“It is really important to manage chronic diseases well and to take care to minimize the risk of infection. This is very simple, for example by washing your hands or avoiding contact with sick people,” said Falat.

Seek medical attention if you experience symptoms, as treatment includes antibiotics, intravenous fluids and other medications.