Damian campaigns against sepsis that took beloved daughter
A BRAVE Brisbane dad who tragically lost his daughter to sepsis after a routine brush with the flu is working tirelessly to make sure no other family ever suffers the heartache he has endured.
Maddy Jones, 18, a vivacious law student, died a year ago this week after catching the flu which led to sepsis, a condition that causes the body to attack its own tissues and organs. Almost 18,000 Austral i a ns get sepsis every year – 5000 die as a result, and half the survivors are left with severe disabilities and impaired function.
But despite the horrific impact of sepsis in the community, it’s a condition even many doctors still struggle to identify but Damian Jones hopes change all that.
Mr Jones has spent the past year raising awareness about the killer condition and has established the Maddy Jones Foundation in the hope that no other person will die from sepsis due to a lack of awareness.
The dedicated dad has been nominated for a 2018 Pride of Australia Award for his campaign against the scourge that stole his little girl.
“People are so to shocked when they hear about Maddy and most people who reach out had never heard of sepsis before and that’s what we want to change,” he said.
“As a family, Maddy has left us with beautiful memories.
“With those memories and through her experience, we want to try and help save the lives of others, we want that to be Maddy’s gift to the world.”
Nominate someone for a Pride of Australia Award at www. prideofaustralia. com. au