FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Sepsis is a medical emergency that claims 11 million lives worldwide every year – 48,000 in the UK. It’s what happens when the immune system over-reacts to an infection or injury.

Diagnosing and treating sepsis quickly is crucial, but it can be hard to spot. There’s no one sign, and symptoms present differently between adults and children.

HOW TO SPOT SEPSIS IN ADULTS

Seek medical help urgently if you (or another adult) develop any of these signs:

• Slurred speech or confusion
• Extreme shivering or muscle pain
• Passing no urine (in a day)
• Severe breathlessness
• It feels like you’re going to die
• Skin mottled or discoloured.

HOW TO SPOT SEPSIS IN CHILDREN

A child may have sepsis if he or she:

• Is breathing very fast
• Has a ‘fit’ or convulsion
• Looks mottled, bluish, or pale
• Has a rash that does not fade when you press it
• Is very lethargic or difficult to wake
• Feels abnormally cold to touch.

If you spot any of these signs, call 999 or go straight to A&E and Just ask: “could it be sepsis?”

A child under 5 may have sepsis if he or she:

• Is not feeding
• Is vomiting repeatedly
• Has not passed urine for 12 hours.

If you spot any of these signs, call 111 or see your GP and Just ask: “could it be sepsis?”

Winter 6hallenge is our latest feel-good fundraising campaign to help you stay active, creative and connected, while supporting our life-saving work this winter. It’s all about hope and positivity, and you can choose whatever you want as your personal or team challenge. The only rule is stay safe and have fun!

We wanted a number to inspire your challenge and since there are six main signs of sepsis for adults and children, and our treatment pathway, The Sepsis Six, is used in hospitals around the world, we thought 6 would be good for raising awareness too!

There’s no need to be a triathlete to take part! Winter 6hallenge is for all ages, abilities and interests. Just think of an activity – absolutely anything you want, preferably based around the numbers 6, 60 or 600 – and complete it before the end of February 2021.

It can be a single one-off event or you can spread your challenge over a number of weeks.

Whatever you choose to do, the main thing is to have fun and raise or donate whatever you can to help us protect and support even more people.

It’s so easy to sign up:

• Choose your 6hallenge (take a look at some ideas below to get the creative juices flowing!)
• Set up your JustGiving page, and share it with family and friends so they can sponsor you
• Complete your 6hallenge by 28th Feb 2021.

If doing a 6hallenge isn’t your thing, you could donate £6 instead (or any amount you’d like!).

You bet! Here are a few suggestions, but feel free to be as creative as you like – we love seeing your ideas! Also, keep an eye out for #Winter6hallenge on social media to see what others 6hallengers have got planned.

Keep active ideas

• Walk, run or cycle 6 miles or km as part of your daily exercise routine. Maybe 6 days a week for 6 weeks?
• Skip for 6 minutes, 6 times a day
• Join a yoga class with 6 friends

Keep creative ideas

• Read 6 books in 6 weeks
• Hold a baking challenge with 6 friends or colleagues
• Do a 6 hour, 6 day, or 6 week digital detox
• Learn 6 new skills

Keep connected ideas

• Hold a dinner party or quiz night (real or virtual)
• Challenge 6 friends to a gaming competition.

Not decided yet? No problem, you can sign up now and finalise the details of your 6hallenge later.

Once you’ve decided, don’t forget to share your 6hallenge ideas, photos and videos using #Winter6hallenge on social media.

The minimum fundraising target is £100 per person. You can absolutely fundraise as a team, but in this case your target will be a combined total e.g. if there are five of you in your 6hallenge team, your team target will be £500.

All funds raised from our Winter 6hallenge will go towards raising public awareness, educating health professionals and supporting people affected by sepsis. Since March, we have also been supporting people who have survived COVID-19, since the recovery profile for survivors of both conditions is often very similar.

What you can be certain of is that your efforts will make it possible for us to continue to protect and support more people at this crucial time.

Again, that’s completely up to you. As a team, you can either choose your own individual goals or work together towards a communal total. You might want to inject a bit of friendly competition to keep everyone motivated!

If you choose a distance-related challenge there are plenty of fantastic free apps out there that can track your distance. For example, Strava can be linked straight to your JustGiving page. This means that your supporters can see exactly how many miles you’ve covered and the funds you’ve raised all in one place! For more information on connecting Strava to your JustGiving page, click here.

Of course, we’ll support your fundraising every step of the way. When you register for Winter 6hallenge you’ll receive a digital fundraising pack and our fundraising manager will be on hand to answer any questions you have. We’ll keep in touch with tips and advice from the day you sign up until you complete your 6hallenge. We’ll also share tips on social media using #Winter6hallenge.

If you want to show the world you’re supporting our lifesaving work, you can purchase branded items from our online shop. There are also lots of brilliant free resources on our website. Check them out here!

Yes, you can absolutely increase your fundraising target. All you need to do is log into your JustGiving account and click ‘Edit your Page’.

We know it can be nerve-wracking signing up to an event with a minimum fundraising target, but don’t forget we’re here to help you achieve your goal. If you ever feel you’re not on track to reach your target, get in touch and we’ll do all we can to help you over the finish line!

If you receive any donations outside of your JustGiving page, you can simply add them to your page as an offline donation. Find out how here.