Matthew and Diane’s story: Surviving sepsis against the odds (video)

In 2013, 39-year-old father of four Matthew Ames experienced what he thought was a common sore throat. 

Over the course of a week he made multiple visits to his GP and hospital emergency department, being told each time that he had a viral illness. 

When his condition deteriorated, he went back to the emergency department. He was admitted to hospital, where he was diagnosed with sepsis. 

Despite aggressive medical intervention, all of Matthew’s limbs had to be amputated to save his life.

While Matthew was treated in the Australian health system, the lessons learned can be applied internationally. In 2018, he visited New Zealand as a keynote speaker at an Infection Prevention and Control workshop held by the Health Quality & Safety Commission Te Tāhū Hauora. 

In this video, Matthew and his wife Diane share their story of his diagnosis, recovery, lessons learned from his experience, and the importance of adverse event reviews.

This video contains content and images that some people may find distressing.  

Matthew and Diane's sepsis story — audio visual transcript (DOCX 43KB)

Sections of the full length video are available separately. 

Part 1: Matthew’s diagnosis – YouTube, (duration 5:51)
Part 2: Matthew’s recovery – YouTube, (duration 1:28)
Part 3: Lessons learned and opportunities for improvement – YouTube, (duration 6:34)
Part 4: The importance of adverse event reviews – YouTube, (duration 5:13)

Read more about Matthew and Diane's story