A GRIEVING Drumchapel man is warning people of the dangers of sepsis after the tragic death of his wife.

Today is World Sepsis Day and Alastair Craig is speaking out to raise awareness of the potentially devastating disease.

“I know Brenda was unlucky – but I want to make people aware of this horrible event,” he said.

Clydebank Post: Brenda Craig

Alastair and Brenda met online when they were both 50, and married four years later. Last January, Brenda, who was a customer service assistant with Scottish Canals, was admitted to hospital suffering from a kidney stone.

After treatments to remove it failed, she was fitted with a stent and two weeks later, she went in for day surgery to have it removed. Because her blood pressure dropped, Brenda was kept in and that night, Alastair was awoken at 4am by police officers sent by the hospital, who told him his wife had been taken into intensive care.

“When I arrived, I was told she had been diagnosed with sepsis and her condition was causing the medical staff some alarm,” he explained. “They said her sons should maybe make the journey from Canada.”

“That afternoon they put Brenda on dialysis as her kidneys were not functioning and they were in contact with the liver unit in Edinburgh regarding a possible transplant. “

In the morning, after six hours of dialysis, Brenda’s blood pressure dropped dramatically and her heart rate began to fluctuate.

“At 7.30am, the doctor told me she was unlikely to see out the day,” said Alastair. “Four hours later the light went out on my life. Her sons arrived from Canada that night. I knew about sepsis. I just never thought it would affect anyone close to me. “

Sepsis kills around 50,000 people in the UK every year. The five key symptoms are high or low temperature, uncontrolled shivering, confusion, passing little urine and blotchy or cold arms and legs.