Agnes, 1, died of sepsis – the mother warns other parents

“A little girl with infinite strength” is written on the candle that burns at Agnes’ memorial place in the Wallin family’s home. Next to the candle is the stuffed monkey Herr Nilsson, a Pippi Longstocking cap and the favorite pacifier – all items that once belonged to 1.5-year-old Agnes.

It has now been a little more than a year since her daughter’s death, but for mother Johanna Wallin, it is still difficult to take in how quickly it went.

– From the time she was healthy in the park until she was declared dead was four days. I usually say that to people so that they somehow understand how fast it can go, even if I still have a hard time taking it in, says Johanna Wallin.

Detecting sepsis early is described as crucial in order to fight the course of the disease, but the symptoms are often difficult to detect. Sometimes it can be too late, just like for Agnes.

Now Johanna Wallin wants to warn others about the risk of being affected.

Sent home with antibiotics

At first it seemed as if the 1.5-year-old had caught a common cold. But when Agnes’ condition worsened, the family took her to the children’s intensive care unit at Karolinska University Hospital in Solna.

Once there, pneumonia was diagnosed and she was sent home with a course of antibiotics.

12 hours later, Agnes died at home, while waiting for an ambulance.

– One’s world is falling apart. You don’t think you should be able to continue living when that happens, says Johanna Wallin.

Life threatening condition

Sepsis, formerly known as blood poisoning, is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the immune system overreacts to an infection in the body and affects vital organs such as the heart, lungs and kidneys. The infection is often a consequence of, for example, pneumonia or wound infection.

– You can say that it is like an inflammation in the whole body, says Adam Linder, sepsis researcher, chairman of the sepsis fund and chief physician at Skåne University Hospital.

He believes that it is vital for survival, but difficult, to detect the symptoms from the start as they can resemble a common infection.

– It is quite difficult for healthcare personnel to determine early, which is due, among other things, to the lack of good diagnostic blood samples. It has not been researched and invested in developing it, so it is something that the healthcare system would really need, says Adam Linder.

Every hour counts

According to the Sepsis Foundation, time is of the essence and every hour without diagnosis and care can be decisive.

Adam Linder believes that it is important to inform oneself about sepsis and be alert to the symptoms. Something even Johanna Wallin agrees with. She continues to fight to inform others about the risk of being affected.

– It is the only way to continue being her parent; to raise her cause in her name and talk about what happened so that things will get better, says Johanna Wallin and continues:

– Read up on sepsis. Don’t be afraid to ask the question “could it be?” and stand your ground if you feel this gut feeling that something is extremely wrong. Because you know your child.

In Agnes’ case, Karolinska University Hospital has conducted an extensive internal investigation and introduced an action plan to prevent history from repeating itself. A report was also made to the Inspectorate for Care and Care, Ivo, who recently decided to close the case because it is judged that Karolinska has fulfilled its obligation to investigate and report the incident and has taken measures to prevent something similar from happening again.