A “fit and healthy” 20-year-old man was forced to undergo double leg amputation just days before his 21st birthday after what began as flu-like symptoms were diagnosed as sepsis.
Levi Dewey was placed in an induced coma and faced only a 30% chance of survival after the life-threatening condition took hold.
Previously active and a keen football player, Levi initially fell ill with flu-like symptoms and tried to manage them with over-the-counter medications.
Levi Dewey was placed in an induced coma with just a 30% chance of survival after being struck by the life-threatening condition.
His mother, Lara, took him to the hospital after a “mother’s intuition” told her something was wrong when his condition didn’t improve.
The former JCB welder then went into septic shock and suffered multiple organ failure at Royal Derby Hospital.
Medics discovered he was battling pneumococcal pneumonia and sepsis, and he was transferred to Glenfield Hospital in Leicester for specialist care.
Doctors told Lara and his father, Neil, that Levi would need surgery to amputate both legs below the knee—an operation that took place just two days before his 21st birthday.
When he woke up, Levi said he felt lucky to be alive but admitted, “nothing could prepare me for how much my life would change.”
Levi, from Willington, Derbyshire, added: “I woke up and Christmas had passed—it felt like my life had been completely flipped upside down.”
The previously active 20-year-old, who loved playing football, first fell ill with flu-like symptoms and tried to manage them with over-the-counter medications.
“I was relying on my family to tell me what had happened—it was such a blur,” Levi recalled. “It was really difficult because I nearly died. I’m so grateful to be here, but I had to come to terms with spending the rest of my life without my legs.”
Levi said his recovery was a huge challenge, both mentally and physically.
“When I got home, it didn’t really feel like home because I was stuck in my front room,” he said. “I couldn’t get changed by myself or even sit up, and because I lost my feet, I had to relearn how to drive using my hands. Those are the things people can’t really understand.”
“I am so lucky to have amazing support, and I am so thankful to be alive,” he added. “But getting sepsis has completely changed my life.”
Doctors informed Lara and Neil that their son would need surgery to amputate both legs below the knee.
The parents first became concerned in December 2022, when they noticed Levi’s “quick and shallow” breathing.
“I don’t know if it was mom’s intuition, but his breathing wasn’t right,” said Lara. “He was taking cold and flu tablets, but his high temperature wouldn’t come down, and he was extremely drowsy with no appetite. He just wasn’t my Levi.”
After being placed in an induced coma, Levi, now 23, underwent Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) treatment at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester. The treatment involved pumping his blood outside the body through an artificial lung, where carbon dioxide was removed and oxygen added, before returning the oxygenated blood to his body.
Levi’s parents said they first took him to the hospital in December 2022 after noticing his “quick and shallow” breathing.
“It all happened so quickly,” recalled Lara. “We were told to go home and get some rest, and then we got a phone call saying we needed to get there immediately because he was deteriorating. We rushed to be with him, and that’s when they told us they didn’t know if he would make it through the night. He had only a 30% chance of survival. It was horrific.”
Lara and Neil admitted they knew very little about sepsis and were shocked to learn that the condition meant Levi’s organs were failing.
“We had no idea what sepsis was or how serious it could be,” Lara said. “I thought it was something that only affected older people, or that you got from a cut. So when I saw him in the hospital bed, with mottled skin and blue legs, it was clear how much the sepsis had taken hold. I’d never seen anything like it in my life.”
Lara and Neil said they had very little knowledge of sepsis and were shocked to learn that it had caused Levi’s organs to start failing.
“Sepsis is actually quite common, but we didn’t know much about it before it affected Levi,” said Neil. “What we’ve learned is that sepsis affects younger people differently than older people. With older patients, because their immune systems are more vulnerable, symptoms are easier to spot. But because Levi was fit and healthy, his immune system initially masked the warning signs until his body could no longer cope and he deteriorated rapidly. Please familiarize yourself with the symptoms so you know what to look out for.”
Dr. Alina Paunescu, an emergency medicine consultant and trust sepsis clinical lead at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, added: “Sepsis affects people of all ages, although very young children and elderly patients are more at risk after an infection due to their underdeveloped or compromised immune systems.”
Levi said his recovery was difficult to come to terms with, both mentally and physically.
“Sadly, Levi’s story is not unusual,” said Dr. Alina Paunescu. “Sepsis is caused by a dysregulated response to infection, and it is not rare for young patients to develop it. This can happen if they contract an aggressive virus or bacteria, receive inappropriate antibiotics for what initially seems like a minor infection, or have underlying conditions that weaken their immune system. It’s crucial to know the warning signs and seek medical help promptly.”
Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection, occurring when the body’s immune system overreacts and begins to damage its own tissues and organs.
Symptoms to watch for include confusion, extreme shivering or severe muscle pain, severe breathlessness, not passing urine for 18 hours or longer, blue, grey, pale, or blotchy skin, lips or tongue, and dizziness.
