More than a decade of campaigning by an Irish couple to increase awareness of the fatal threat of sepsis in the US has been recognised by the introduction of a senate Bill in Washington, DC.
Ciarán and Orlaith Staunton met US senate majority leader Chuck Schumer on Wednesday on Capitol Hill, part of a series of meetings in which the bipartisan support of Maine Republican senator Susan Collins and Pennsylvania senator Bob Casey was achieved in sponsoring the Sepsis Act. This was introduced by Mr Schumer on Wednesday evening.
“I don’t know when was the last time a couple of Irish immigrants got a piece of legislation through - or at least introduced,” Mr Staunton said on Thursday, adding that he and his wife are thrilled by the development.
The couple, well known in Irish-American circles, lost their son, Rory (12) to sepsis in April 2012 after a routine cut he received while diving for a basketball at practice became infected. The symptoms he developed failed to be recognised by medical experts until it was too late.
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“I’ve gotten to know Ciarán and Orlaith well and I can say no family has done more in the fight against sepsis,” Mr Schumer said. “Their advocacy created a nationwide movement to raise awareness about sepsis, which has been especially successful in New York, where our state is leading the way in hospital efforts to reduce sepsis. This year I was really proud to secure $3 million in federal funding, the largest-ever funding allocation dedicated to sepsis.”
Like many people, the Stauntons were unaware of the threat of sepsis until their son’s fatal illness. Spurred on by Rory’s naturally active and socially aware personality, they began a tireless campaign to both educate the public and improve medical awareness. They published a children’s book to teach readers about basic care for children’s cuts and bruises. They established “Rory’s Regulations”, which were adopted first in New York, where the family lives, and which, as Mr Schumer pointed out, have been essential in “securing quality data collection, hospital education and co-ordination across federal agencies to improve sepsis tracking and response”.
Since then, the regulations have been rolled out in six other states.
“It has saved around 20,000 New Yorkers and it covers around 50 million Americans,” Mr Staunton said. “But it will take forever to go state by state so that is why we want a federal bill. And it gives hospitals a chance to get ready because everyone knows it is coming down the track. We have introduced federal legislation on sepsis for the first time in history and the hospital association has welcomed it. That was the main thing.
“When Rory died sepsis was killing 260,000 Americans per year. Right now, it is killing at least 350,000. It is the biggest killer of children in the world.”
The Bill coincided with World Sepsis Day, on Friday, September 13th. The Stauntons said they are hopeful that the Bill will be passed into law early next year.
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