Mayo native sees breakthrough in sepsis campaign with US Senate Bill reintroduced

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 with the reintroduction of a senate Bill in Washington, DC.

Mayo native Ciaran Staunton and his wife Orlaith have been leading the charge to end sepsis following the death of their 12-year-old son, Rory, in 2012, from undiagnosed, untreated sepsis.

In a major breakthrough this week, the Sepsis Act - the bipartisan Bill first introduced in the Senate last September - was officially reintroduced into the new Congress.

The legislation represents a major milestone in the national effort to combat the sepsis crisis by the End Sepsis organisation, a foundation set up by the Stauntons following the loss of their son.

The Bill is being co-sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ), reflecting growing bipartisan momentum. In a powerful show of support, the Bill has also been endorsed by the American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals, two leading voices in the healthcare sector.

To mark this important development, End Sepsis returned to Capitol Hill this week to engage with lawmakers and staff, meeting with key members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, where they emphasised the staggering human and economic toll of sepsis on American families and the healthcare system.

The legislation aims to prevent sepsis fatalities by increasing early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of sepsis, lessening the devastating and costly impact that sepsis has on hospitals, the healthcare system, and friends and families of potential sepsis victims.

“Tragically, because of a lack of public awareness, too many cases of sepsis fly under the radar until it’s too late. I’ve long fought to raise awareness and boost federal research funding for this devastating condition,” said Leader Schumer.

“I am grateful to my dear friends Ciaran and Orlaith Staunton from New York who went through the worst thing a parent could endure - losing their 12-year-old son Rory to sepsis a decade ago.

“Instead of retreating to darkness, they turned their grief into action to raise awareness for the disease and are working to create a future where no parent has to experience the same pain.”

Expressing thanks for the support received, Ciaran and Orlaith Staunton, founders of End Sepsis - The Legacy of Rory Staunton, expressed thanks for the support received, stating: “Thirteen years ago, sepsis claimed the life of our 12-year-old son, Rory. Since then, we’ve dedicated ourselves to ensuring other families don’t endure the same heartbreak.

"Sepsis takes hundreds of thousands of lives each year, strains our healthcare system, and costs $64 billion annually. This Bill is a major milestone in the fight against a preventable and treatable condition.

“As a child, Rory liked nothing better than helping people and lifting them up. He is still lifting us all up now and urging us to fight even harder. Our promise to him is that we will.”