Stage and screen star Jason Watkins, 60, and his wife Clara Francis lost their two-year-old daughter in 2011 after suffering from sepsis – which was not initially diagnosed by medics.
1
Tonight, at 9pm, they fronted an ITV documentary into their daughter’s death and hope their experience will help medics think twice when assessing youngsters for sepsis – which occurs as a reaction to an infection.
In one particular scene, the couple attempt to look through their late daughter’s belongings for the first time since her death.
They’d been kept inside Clara’s best friend’s loft for the past decade, but the pair struggled to even open the bags and look inside.
Clara walked off in tears as she struggled with the reality of seeing her daughter’s belongings for the first time since her death.
Rushing to social media to share words of support were heartbroken viewers.
Praising the couple for their bravery, one person said: “What amazing Parents you are in the midst of your heartbreak. Let’s hope the professionals and everyone gain the knowledge and awareness needed to prevent this awful condition Bless you both and your beautiful family.”
Another said: “I’m in bits xxxxx you and your lovely wife are amazing to be putting this out there.”
A third wrote: “watching this show is so hard but it’s wonderful that you’re sharing your story and memories. Such a lot of silence about death and grief.”
Someone else penned: “I can’t stop crying. You’ve been so brave for sharing your story.”
And another wrote: “As a grandma, I cannot imagine the pain of Jason, Clara, their family and all other child bereaved families. The signs of sepsis have been clearly highlighted. Thank you for your bravery. I am in tears.”
Jason told how Maudie’s passing was the “hardest thing that could happen as a parent.”
He candidly said: “I suppose you blame yourself, well, I do.
“I was there when she was discharged from hospital for a second time?”
The actor, who played Gerry Fairweather in EastEnders from 1987 to 1988, became emotional as he continued: “She had breathing difficulties, which is a common symptom of sepsis.
“Her eyes were rolling in the back of her head.
“Didn’t they see what she was like when we came into A&E.”
Sepsis is the primary cause of death from infection around the world – that’s more than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined.
The condition is always triggered by an infection – but it is not contagious and cannot be passed from person to person.
Most often the culprit is an infection we all recognise – pneumonia, urinary infections (UTIs), skin infections, including cellulitis, and infections in the stomach, for example appendicitis.