Melissa Mead

Melissa campaigns for better recognition, treatment, and awareness of sepsis.

Melissa’s passion for raising awareness of sepsis stems from personal tragedy after her one-year-old son William succumbed to sepsis at home in December 2014. Sadly, William’s underlying pneumonia had been misdiagnosed as a viral infection and doctors failed to notice the signs of sepsis.

Rather than get angry, Melissa got active. Campaigning quite significantly over the last few years. With the UK Sepsis Trust, she has seen significant movements in the public’s knowledge of sepsis in addition to healthcare workers treating sepsis in a timelier fashion. Melissa urges everyone, the public and healthcare professionals alike to ‘Just ask: Could it be Sepsis?’

In 2018, Melissa was awarded an MBE for her work in raising awareness of sepsis.