Football-loving 20-year old’s ‘flu’ turned out to be sepsis – and he lost both his legs: ‘People need to know what to look out for’
A ‘fit and healthy’ young man was forced to have both legs amputated just days before his 21st birthday after what he thought was flu turned out to be deadly sepsis.
In December 2022, Levi Dewy, now 23, woke with a sore throat, body aches and a high temperature.
When his condition failed to improve with cold-and-flu tablets, his mother, Lara, took him to hospital—and moments later he went into septic shock, suffering multiple organ failure at Royal Derby Hospital.
‘I don’t know if it was mum’s intuition, but his breathing wasn’t right,’ said Lara.
‘He had a high temperature that wouldn’t come down and he was really drowsy, with no appetite. He just wasn’t my Levi.’
Doctors diagnosed pneumococcal pneumonia—a serious bacterial infection that can cause pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis—and transferred him to Glenfield Hospital in Leicester, where he was placed in a medically induced coma.
To give his body the best chance of fighting the infection, doctors placed him on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation—a form of life support that takes over the work of the lungs to allow them to heal.
But the sepsis was too advanced, and both of Levi’s legs had to be amputated below the knee—an operation carried out just two days before his 21st birthday.
In December 2022, Levi woke up with what he thought was the flu
The fit and healthy football lover took over-the-counter cold and flu medication to try and alleviate his symptoms. But his mother, Lara, knew something was wrong
Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that occurs when the immune system overreacts and begins attacking the body’s own tissues and organs.
Levi’s parents, Lara and Neil, were told he had just a 30 per cent chance of survival as his condition rapidly deteriorated.
Recalling the unimaginable, Lara said: ‘I’d never seen anything like it in my life.
‘I thought it was something that only affected older people, or something you got from a cut. So when I saw him in the hospital bed and he was a mottled colour and his legs were blue, you could see where the sepsis had got hold of him.’
But defying the odds, doctors said the infection was too advanced—yet Mr Dewy eventually woke up.
‘I woke up and Christmas had passed—it was like my life had been flipped upside down,’ he said.
‘I was relying on my family to tell me what had happened, it was such a blur.
‘It was really difficult because I nearly died, and I’m so grateful to be here, but I had to wrap my head around spending the rest of my life without my legs.’
As the bacterial infection began to take over, his organs began to shut down, triggering septic shock
Levi was placed in a medically induced coma and underwent a double leg amputation to try and get the infection under control
The football-loving young man is continuing to come to terms with his new life, having had to relearn everyday tasks—including how to drive without his legs.
‘I couldn’t even get changed by myself or sit up,’ he said. ‘And because I lost my feet, I had to learn how to drive using my hands. It’s those things people can’t really understand.’
He added: ‘I’m so lucky to have amazing support and I’m so thankful to be here—but getting sepsis has completely changed my life.’
Levi’s parents are now campaigning to raise awareness of the life-threatening condition, urging young people to stay vigilant and learn the warning signs.
His father, Neil, said: ‘What we’ve learned is that sepsis affects younger people differently to older people.
‘With older people, because their immune systems are more vulnerable, you can spot the symptoms more easily.
‘But because Levi was fit and healthy, his immune system was masking the signs until it got to a point where his body could no longer cope and he deteriorated rapidly.
‘Please familiarise yourself with the symptoms so you know what to look out for.’
Levi made a miraculous recovery, defying all odds and since then has had to learn how to live without his legs
Levi’s family now want to raise better awareness for the life-threatening condition
Pneumococcal infections can be very serious if not treated quickly, and are most common in people with weakened immune systems.
If the bacteria enters the bloodstream or major organs it can be fatal, attacking the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.
Left untreated it can cause life-threatening sepsis and result in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.
Dr Alina Paunescu, an emergency medicine consultant and sepsis clinical lead at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘Sadly, Levi’s story is not unusual.
‘Sepsis is caused by a dysregulated immune response to infection, and it’s not rare for young patients to develop sepsis.
‘This may occur if they contract an aggressive virus or bacteria, they received inappropriate antibiotics for what initially appears to be a minor infection, or have underlying conditions that compromise their immune system—so it’s important to know what signs to look out for and when to seek medical help.’
There are lots of possible symptoms of sepsis but common symptoms in adults or older children include: blue, grey pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue, acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense, a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it and difficulty breathing.
Sepsis needs to be treated as quickly as possible in hospital. If it’s not caught early, it can turn into septic shock and cause life-threatening organ failure.
